


S&B Society: Secret Beards Society

by UnicornAffair



Series: The Snark and Bark Chronicles [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/F, M/M, mentions of Maribelle/Lissa - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-04-09 10:45:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 79,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4345556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornAffair/pseuds/UnicornAffair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things are shaken up in the Snark and Bark Society when Severa and Brady admit to each other that really they're both in love with royals they can never have. In order to hide their biggest secret the two decide to pretend to date one another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The usual blanket I don't own Fire Emblem or any of it's characters. :D enjoy
> 
> As far as the adult couples go I'm just using who I put together in my game file. So it's Robin and Cordelia, Chrom and Sumia and Maribelle and Lon'qu. Meaning Lucina/Cynthia are sisters as well as Severa and Morgan

When Severa first approached Brady he was extremely apprehensive. People didn’t approach him much, even if they were all on the same side of the war. Villagers he would try to protect mistake him for a bandit, children he tries to heal scream at his appearance. It’s hard not to become defensive under those circumstances. His default response became shutting people out with a tough attitude. It’s easier to shut people out rather than to let them in and get hurt later. At least that was how he saw it.

Now Severa wasn’t an angel either. The Shepherds unofficial nickname for the red-head was Ice Queen. She was quick to shut anyone down with a snarky remark and a scowl on her face. It became second nature. She wasn’t perfect, she didn’t have a Pegasus, she wasn’t as pretty as her mother, and she wasn’t as strong as her mother. All she would ever hear about is Cordelia, Cordelia, Cordelia. How could anyone live up to her name? Why even bother? She would never be what everyone wanted her to be.

The idea behind the Snark and Bark society was to find common ground on being the social outcasts of the group. That and it felt so nice for the two to vent and get off their chests everything that was bothering them. Brady told her his insecurities that he could never be the proper Lord that his mother always wanted. That just once he’d like to go into a village without Owain having to explain to merchant that he wouldn’t be stealing anything. It was humiliating. Severa on the other hand shared her desires to form a bond with Cordelia but that she had been too scared of losing her again just when she got close. She didn’t want to handle losing anyone again. It would be too much. As time went on Brady made the extra effort to make their society meetings special. He purchased a tent in town so they could have their own little club house. It would just be the two of them; if anything for a distraction during the tough times of war. Today he was going to go the extra mile and bake a cake to go along with their afternoon tea.

“Oh gawds what are you wearing!?” He recognized that judgmental tone anywhere. Severa entered the tent only to be horrified by her new best friend stirring a dessert batter while wearing a chef hat. Where did he even find that? “You look ridiculous”

“Awh I like it” Brady set the bowl down; she didn’t even need to see his face to know that he was pouting. “Besides all the bakers in town’s gots one of these”

“Don’t be such a loser” Severa plopped down on one of the pillow cushions that surrounded a makeshift table in the center of the tent. Since the entire group was always on the move, they never had the time to really decorate the place. “How do you plan on baking that anyway? Idiot, we’re in a tent”

Brady hadn’t thought this through. An open flame inside a flammable tent? Bad idea “Fine! I try to do somethin’ nice for you and you shove it in my face” He grabbed the bowl and his mixing spoon and dropped down next to her. If he couldn’t make the damn cake he was going to enjoy the batter. “Why are you early anyway?”

“Lucina” Before Brady could even get a lick onto the spoon it was already taken away from him by his companion. “Little miss perfect was combat training with Owain. Ugh gag me” She twirled the spoon to dramatically impersonate their fearless leader, acting as if it were a sword, “Look at me, I’m Lucina. I’m perfect. My azure hair flows through the wind as my justice blade cuts down the spawns of evil. I couldn’t take it anymore!”

“Azure?”

“It’s another word for blue, stupid”

“Gah! I know what it means!” Brady was already irritated that his cake surprise blew up in his face but now he had to stick with using his fingers to get any of the batter. He really didn’t want to hear part seventeen of Severa’s rants about Lucina. Brady wasn’t an idiot. At first Severa would always be complaining about all of their companions but as she felt more and more comfortable around the monk she seemed to hone in her focus onto a specific person. That couldn’t have been a coincidence. “You’re just as good with a sword as she is. Why don’t you just challenge her?”

Severa didn’t know what to say. In fact she needed to fill her mouth with cake batter simply to give herself time to actually come up with a response. “I can’t beat up the princess. People hate me enough as it is. I could take her though…”

“Uh huh” Brady was unconvinced of her claims, but he knew something else was bothering her. Unfortunately for him the best way to get anything out of the red-head was to provoke her.

“I could! You think she’s so great? Of course you do. Everyone loves her. I’ve watched her fight, I’ve watched her train. I could fight her in my sleep, heck! I could pin her to the ground if I wanted” She beamed with pride, “Wouldn’t even see me coming”

“You sound like you’ve thought about this a lot” Brady observed, now he was just going to have fun with this. “Pinnin’ her to the ground n’all.”

“Don’t be gross!” Severa scolded, hitting his leg with the back end of the wooden spoon, earning a yelp of pain. “You’re such a pervert”

“Ma always said y’know before….” The lanky boy shook his head, this wasn’t about bringing up painful memories of the future, “That when you like someone, really like someone, you give them all this attention and boy the past few weeks Lucina is all you freaking talk about so…either you’re jealous or you wanna jump her bones”

“That doesn’t sound like something your mother would say” Not feeling very hungry anymore she set the bowl down between them “You’re being ridiculous” Severa scoffed it off, when it came to how she was really feeling it was much easier to brush it off. If it didn’t seem like such a big deal to her then it couldn’t be the truth. Severa couldn’t like the princess like that. No way! For the obvious they were both girls, and Severa was way out of Lucina’s league. Or so she would like to think.

“So’s not exactly what she said…I’m paraphrasing!”

“Oooh paraphrasing, what a big word for you” Severa knew the easiest way to get Brady off topic was to antagonize him. She could always read a person, heck that was how she could get so much cake out of her mother Cordelia. What suckers.

Brady could tell that she was on the defensive; she had that gleam in her eye, like she had won. Ugh. He loved the girl as a friend but she could be so damn smug up on her high horse. “C’mon. You can tell me. I won’t judge ya’ heh actually it explains a lot” His expression softened as he reached his hand out to her shoulder. “You’ve got the hots for Lucina”

The smaller girl flinched away from his touch and stood up. If she didn’t she would wind up punching him in the chest and quite frankly she wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle that. “It’s not funny! As if! I’m not!” Realizing that she was actually shouting at this point she stopped herself. The last thing she would ever want is someone, especially Lucina, walking in on their society meeting to see if everything was okay. “…so what if I did?” She finally conceited, refusing to sit back down next to her friend. Severa didn’t even want to look at his ugly mug right now. “What if I “had that hots” for her? Nothing could happen. Nothing would happen! It’d just be a waste of time. She could never like me…who would?”

Brady stood as she was speaking. He could feel her confidence starting to shrink away, this right before him was the real Severa. The one behind the poison laced shell that she wears to protect herself. “I would” The lanky man tentatively wrapped one arm around her to test the waters, when she didn’t push him away he felt safe enough to envelope her with the other. “Stop being so freakin’ hard on yourself”

“…She’s part of the royal family. She could never be with me. She’s expected to marry a nice man and pop out a zillion babies to blah blah blah duties that she always yaps on about. Even if...she could never” Severa let out a mirthless chuckle, “But you would know all about that”

“…I’m not following…” Brady frowned, he did not like where this was going. The war-monk did not expect the conversation to be turned onto him like this. “This doesn’t have anything to do with me”

“Actually I know you would understand more than anyone” A hand came up to grab his robe at his chest, mostly to prevent him from going anywhere. She wasn’t ready for his reassuring arms to leave her cold. “I’m not an idiot. I know how you look at Owain. We’re a lot alike you and me”

Can’t escape, can’t escape. Brady blinked, how did she? No! There was no way she could possibly get that. All Brady would complain about is stupid Inigo, stupid tea parties, stupid etiquette lessons, and stupid villagers who can’t tell a priest from a bandit. “Whoa I’m not” He looked down to see that Severa was on the verge of tears. Awh! He couldn’t handle that. These were the real kind, not the, ‘please daddy buy me everything in sight crying’. Brady could only huff out a sigh, keeping his chin up and out so there would be no eye contact between them. Damn sentiments.

“Please. You two were always attached to the hip growing up; I always thought that was just because your mothers were so close. And maybe that’s how it started. Luci and I were close once upon a time. But then…gawds and this is the worst. You get that feeling, that burning jealously in your stomach when he’s talking to another guy, probably Inigo. You think you’re insane, that you just don’t want him to spend time with anyone else because you were his friend first. But then it happens. You think you’re cursed with a hex unlike any other…where you know you care far beyond the reaches of friendship. That’s when you stay up the nights wishing it were a hex. That you could wake up and not be in love with someone you could never have.” Severa paused looking up to see if Brady was getting all of that, he refused to say anything, just stared off to the corner of the tent. It was as if his whole world was under a seeing eye glass. “That’s when you try to distance yourself from him. Maybe some space would help you get over it, or over yourself…how am I doing?”

“…You knew this whole time?” he was surprised that Severa, someone who he believed was so self-absorbed, would notice the struggles he was facing every day. He and his best friend Owain would always be goofing off, maybe even going into the village. Brady never made a good wing man so he would help out his friend in other ways to try and make him a better warrior.

“I wanted to be your friend because you would get it…..and wouldn’t tell a soul” Severa let go of his cloak, “We’re not like everyone else here. And I don’t know…maybe not feel so alone in the world?”

“Hey hey you’ve always got me” Especially now that both of their secrets were out in the open and raw. “I ain’t goin’ anywhere. The S&B Society’ll be strong as long as we got our heads on” Severa frowned at his phrasing but she had decided to let it go to save him the embarrassment, “Hey! Now that we know maybe we could help each other get over it”

“…..Ew no! I am not doing anything gross with you”

“What!? No! I don’t wanna….” Severa placed her hands on her hips, he knew he didn’t have much time to recover, “…I mean you’re a very beautiful woman but”

“Oh can it!” She snapped, “Besides you just gave me a brilliant idea! Way better than the S&B society.” Severa rubbed her hands together as she formed her plot, a devilish grin forming on her face. “We go steady”

“That doesn’t solve our problems at all in the slightest.” Brady was already weary of whatever sort of plan his friend was concocting. “How does us dating do anything good? I’m still gonna like Owain and you’re gonna like Lucina”

“Yeah but we know that we don’t like each other like that, but they don’t know! They’ll never find out about our little….secret. Heck! No one would! Do you really think Mama Maribelle is going to like the idea of you being too into other guy’s magic staffs?”

“Awh! C’mon!” Brady groaned at the innuendo, he would have probably laughed if it wasn’t at his expense. “You think Ma is gonna like me dating a foul mouthed hussy? Who’s the pervert now?”

“Shut up!” Severa stomped, “I am trying to formulate a master plan. Everyone will get off of our backs. Your mother, my mother...Besides with all of this time we’re spending complaining about how stupid everyone is…well…they’re probably dumb enough to assume that we’re already dating. No one will ever, ever know.”

“Ah I dunno if I like the idea of this” Brady hesitantly rubbed the back of his neck, “We’d be lyin’ to everyone”

“You have to do whatever you can to protect yourself. That’s what we have to do in order to survive this hell hole. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“That oh, I dunno, everyone believes this crap for too long and expect us to get married and have a freakin’ kid. I know how babies are made, I ain’t doin’ that with you!” Brady waved his arms dramatically as if that would prove his point, he really had no idea how it got to this. All he wanted to do was get Severa to confess her feelings for her best friend not come up with an elaborate scheme.

“Okay, one, rude. I am probably the prettiest girl you will ever fake date let alone be your fake wife. Two our children would take after me, obviously, I’m not having a dumb looking fake kid.” Severa rolled her eyes at how paranoid he was being, “Obviously we would break up before it gets that bad. Don’t be such a wuss Brady and be my fake boyfriend.”

There was nothing that could ever stop a determined Severa when she had her mind set on a goal. Brady let out a deep sigh and returned to the cushions on the floor, “Fine I’ll do it” He begrudgingly agreed to it all taking the last of the cake batter bowl into his lap. He was going to need some comfort food to get himself through the night. What on Earth did he just agree to?


	2. Chapter 2

It didn’t take long for the rumor of Brady and Severa’s relationship to spread. There were always suspicions surrounding the two when they started to spend time together, but once they were seen out in public holding hands and flirting openly it was all around camp. The reactions from their friends was to be expected, Inigo and Owain actually congratulated Brady on actually having a girlfriend. Brady played it off well, at least he thought it went well, being around Owain and playing it cool didn’t really mix. Severa had been trying to help him with that. 

“So” His mother Maribelle sat across from him, her hands neatly folded in her lap as he poured out the tea. Ever since the two had found each other they set up a weekly tea time. It served a couple of purposes, they both really wanted to form a relationship and this was Maribelle’s opportunity to teach her boy some proper manners. A win, win situation “I noticed you were getting rather chummy with Severa this morning” She prodded, her tone too calm for Brady’s liking. “Is there something I should know about?”

“Aw shucks Ma” Brady’s hand trembled as he tried pouring himself his cup of tea. He hated lying, especially to his mother. Normally if he was around Severa she did most of the talking for him and he dumbly nodded along or added a comment here or there. Now, he was by himself. “It’s nothin’.” Maribelle’s brow arched, “I mean we’re…tryin’ somethin’ new with each other. Romantic n’such”

“Ah I see” Her short responses made the younger man nervous. Maribelle almost never stopped talking, especially if there was something on her mind. Surely she had a strong opinion on her son’s love life. “…Severa, though?”

“What’re you tryin’ to say?” Brady sat down across from her, reaching for some comfort in carbs. “I thought you’d be happy that I’d have a girlfriend” The word sounded so foreign to him. Severa being his ‘girlfriend’ was still something he was getting used to. “She can be intense, yeah, but I like her…she gets me”

“I just want my Brady bear to be happy” Maribelle smiled, Brady couldn’t put his finger on it but he could almost sense a sad tone in her voice. Odd “Elbows off the table dear”  
**************************************************************************************************************************************************  
Later that day Brady and Severa went into a nearby village with other members of the kids group. It had been their turn to get the basic supplies before making their way out west. Brady and Severa elected to go to the marketplace and stock up on food and goods, really just another excuse to avoid actually talking to the brat pack.

“So, talked to my Ma this mornin’ and funny thing” Brady wasn’t good at beating around the bush so he was just going to come out with it. “I don’t think she likes you” He rubbed the back of his neck, bracing himself for an outburst. 

“Shocker” Severa rolled her eyes, folding her arms in disdain, “What kind of girl was she expecting you to bring home to Mommy dearest? She should know I’m the best you’ll ever have” It shouldn’t surprise her. Though that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt any less. Of course in the noblewoman’s eyes she wasn’t good enough for her precious son. Why would she hope otherwise? If she wasn’t good enough for Brady she could never be good enough for Sumia. Not that it would matter. “I’ll show her a thing or two. She’s be lucky to have me as a daughter in law”

“Whoa whoa whoa! Stop freakin’ me out about the marriage talk” They had made a deal that it would never actually come to that, but that never stopped Severa from pushing his buttons to get him riled up. “I swear to your royal princess-ow!” He was cut off with a swift punch to his arm; man the tiny girl could be rough.

“Shut up! Ugh!” That reminded the redhead of the next part of her plan, “We need to start working on getting over them, by the by. So I decided, why not make it fun? We can make a list of all the stupid things that we don’t like about them” She stopped at a fruit stand and started to inspect the apples, maybe even convince someone to bake her a pie with these later. That would be a fun afternoon project. “I’ll start. Lucina has zero taste in clothing”

Brady found a basket so Severa would have a place to put the apples that she decided were worthy enough. “I don’t know if I like the idea of this” But he thought he’d indulge her, “He never knows when to stop doing that act of his. Maybe sometime’s I wanna have a regular conversation”

“See? Venting is great! Okay my turn” Severa took a moment to glance down to the grocery list her mother oh so carefully written out for them, “She’s always on hero mode all the time. Like, as if we aren’t trying to change the past too? The girl’s going to drive herself crazy. The worlds too heavy for one person to hold on their shoulders”

Brady wasn’t sure if her admission was actually something she actually hated, or something that she secretly really admired about the other woman and was bitter about it. Girls were way too complicated. “I don’t think that one’s a bad thing. It’s not like she constantly talks about how her sword hand trembles. Really, what is that all about?”

“Oooh” Severa teased taking a bunch of bananas from the stand and holding them out to him, “Owain’s sword hand trembles as he-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence! The bananas are too innocent for your sense of humor” His face flushed a deep red as he put them in the basket and quickly paid the merchant just to put some space between the pair and any other normal bystander. “Ma’s probably right about you”

“Whatever, your mom’s a prude” She could feel that she struck a nerve by the way Brady’s face started to contort to look uglier than usual, “Fine, I’m sorry. Gawds you are so sensitive.” 

As the pair continued down the marketplace pathway, Severa made sure to hold onto Brady’s hand so as many people could see that they were together as possible; anything to back up their current status of dating without being too gross. All while the two were trying to come up with other ways to try to get the royals out of their heads. 

Severa’s plan of trying to list everything they hated backfired so it was Brady’s turn to come up with a brilliant idea. “How about this…anytime you think of Lucina in a sapphic way I’ll hit cha and same goes for me. Like then whenever you think ‘man I really just want to roll around in some mud topless with my gal pal’ you’ll associate it with pain. I think that’s how they train dogs”

The shorter girl stopped him in his tracks by pulling his arm, “That is the dumbest idea that you have ever come up with. First off how do you even know that word? Second gawds you pervert! Do you really think that’s what I fantasize about? That sounds like something Inigo would say. And oh last but not least you are never ever allowed to have a dog. As your girlfriend I forbid it”

“It’s not a dumb idea! Can we please at least try it? We do all of your dumb stuff includin’ this “relationship”. Will you just indulge me once?” Severa sighed and nodded her head, which was the best he was going to get out of her. The stubborn girl wasn’t one for going along with other people’s plans or ideas but she did owe him. …That and he was basically just giving her permission to hit him every time he thought of his crush, what fun.

Soon the day at the marketplace became dusk and the group needed to reunite and return to camp. Having done the easiest bit of the shopping, Severa and Brady were waiting for the others around the bazaar tent. “You should buy me that necklace” Severa observed a pretty necklace with a purple gemstone and a silver chain, “It matches your robes, and it’s pretty”

“No way, you’re not using this relationship to get free stuff out of me” Brady knew Severa’s antics and how she could get her parents to spend a fortune on her, no way was he going to be falling into her traps. “I’m not made of gold”

“Sure you are! Besides boyfriends buy their girlfriend’s pretty things all the time” Severa wrapped her arms around his neck, trailing her fingers through what little hair she could reach, “And just think we could be the cutest couple ever”

“Cutest fake couple ever” Brady sighed reluctantly, as long as she didn’t start crying he felt like he could be in control of the situation. “You’re letting this ruse get to your head”

“And you’re not taking this seriously enough! Just think of it as a friendship necklace that represents our love and support for each other” Or some sentimental crap like that, it sounded dumb, but she once heard that Brady cried over a flower on the side of a dirt path so if she was going to get some perks out of it this was her opportunity. “Is it really so wrong to want the other girls to be jealous of me for a change?”

“…Yes. That’s literally the definition of bein’ self-centered.”

“But I want it” 

“Best to give the lady what she wants, Brady, my advice to you” Inigo and his shopping buddy Owain approached the couple with rucksacks slung over their shoulders. “Especially since this may be the only woman who would ever look your direction so long as I’m in the Shepherds”

Their private moment had ruined by this blockhead and the apple of Brady’s man-lusting eyes. “Says the man who hasn’t held a ladies attention in weeks” Owain chuckled patting his friend Inigo on the shoulder. He sent Brady a wink to signify that he had his back. As a prince he couldn’t play sides among his friends and comrades but he wanted to keep things fair. That and he didn’t like to see jokes made at his childhood friend’s expense. “Maybe Brady is the one you should be taking advice from, surely he’s doing something right”

Severa could feel Brady’s breath sharpen and she wasn’t going to let him respond only to make a fool out of himself and fumble his words. Though she wasn’t going to miss up the opportunity to try Brady’s asinine dog training method. Associating pain with Owain had been the first step so she carefully placed a foot over Brady’s and leaned into him to apply some weighted pressure on him. “Brady’s a man” Severa glared over to Inigo, no one was going to insult her idiot, “Not some fake flirt who tries to get with any girl with a set of legs. You have the attention span of a gnat. So why don’t you buzz off and mind your own business”

Brady clenched his teeth, trying his best not to show that he was in pain. Sure Severa’s a tiny girl but when she tries to hurt someone she really tries to make them feel it. “C’mon babe, I’ll get you that necklace” If anything it would get them away from the attention and her off of his foot. 

“Aww you’re so sweet” She leaned up and kissed his cheek as a reward for good behavior, taking his hand and dragging him toward the stand. 

“Jeez you trying to break my foot?” Brady grumbled under his breath as they approached the merchant’s stand. Really he was just happy to be out and away from them.  
**************************************************************************************************************************************************

That night at the camp Owain spent the evening tending a fire and sharpening his sword to prepare for their next battle. He was so trapped in his own thoughts and motion that he didn’t even hear his cousin sit down on the log next to him. “Oh!” He should’ve been better than that. A stupid mistake like not paying attention could get someone killed, “Couldn’t sleep?”

Lucina shook her head, “I cannot remember the last time I was able to sleep soundly” She admitted. She often had a hard time even getting to sleep thoughts of letting everyone down and the world falling apart would always plague her mind. “I could tend to the fire and keep watch if you wanted to sleep”

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I left you to your lonesome?” Owain stopped sharpening his sword, “Do you want to talk about it?”

The future exalt shook her head no, she didn’t want to burden anyone else with her troubles. “I’ll be alright” Once this was all over she would finally be able to take the weight off of her chest and breathe again. “You seem troubled…is there something on your mind?”

“It’s going to sound dumb” Owain placed his sword next to him, standing up to lean over and poke at the flames. “It’s Brady, and I know, I should be happy for him. I am! Love doesn’t come easy…especially for him but…I miss him. He’s my best friend and now it’s like I’m not even important anymore”

“Don’t think that way. Just because he’s starting to date doesn’t mean you’re not important to him. You two have been friends since you were in diapers no girl would ever change the bond you two have” Lucina always knew what to say, it was what made her an excellent leader. “I admit I’m actually jealous. Severa and I used to be close then all of a sudden she just stopped. I think she’s mad at me. We used to be very close”

“I know, I remember” Owain laughed solemnly at a fond memory, back before their lives became so grim. “And don’t get me wrong, I enjoy spending time with Inigo and his crazy antics but…it’s just not the same”

“Hmm” Lucina fell silent, staring at the flame as she tried to come up with a perfect solution to their problems. “I’m going to lead a group for training tomorrow. I think that would be an excellent opportunity to spar”

“Sparring with Brady?” Owain knew that he needed it desperately, “That could take hours! He’s not the greatest with a weapon” Lucina simply gave him a look; it took him a second to understand where she was going with this. “Oh! That’s an excellent idea. And you can spar with Severa…maybe find out why she’s so…prickly”

“Yes…I’d like to get to the bottom of that as well”

“Then let’s make a pact to get our friends back” Owain was going to do whatever it took to be able to get things to the way they were before Brady started dating Severa. He was going to make that his mission going forth. “Starting tomorrow”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maribelle's bit was short in this one, but she'll be playing a bigger part as time goes on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucina's great sparring plan underway

Lucina spent most of her morning observing Brady and Severa from a distance. She knew she would need backup in the form of Owain to get the two separated for any sort of combat training. As a leader and their princess she wanted to know the ins and outs of her immediate group of followers. Nothing too personal, but knowing how pairs interacted could help on the battlefield. People with good chemistry worked better with one another.

She was able to conclude by observation, and questioning Morgan, that Severa and Brady didn’t seem to be that intimate. That, and Lucina observed that they punched each other’s shoulders a quite a few times throughout the day in some sort of odd game that she didn’t quite understand. In fact there had been a lot about Severa that she didn’t understand lately. Perhaps it was the stress of war. Whatever the reason, Lucina was determined to get to the bottom of this. 

“Are you ready?” She approached her cousin Owain, just as he finished up his lunch. “I’m going to need you at my side to pull this off” Even if the two hadn’t talked as closely as they did in the past, Lucina still considered Severa to be her best friend. She knew her friend well enough to know that she’s as stubborn as a bull. If she didn’t want to do something she would fight back hard.

“I’ve spent all morning preparing” Owain reached under the table to pull out wooden weapons he had crafted. “I even made Brady an axe shaped one” He beamed, shoving it in Lucina’s face so she could admire his craftsmanship. “I know he prefers that to a sword. Do you like it? I don’t have much experience with axes. Perhaps I should have consulted with Gerome”

“I think its fine” Lucina wanted to cut him off as quickly as possible. Owain had an extremely bad habit of getting out of hand. Once she saw Owain and Cynthia practice dramatic entrances for an entire afternoon. “This is just for practice, remember?”

“I know I know that’s why I didn’t name them” He paused, “I didn’t want to become attached in case they broke” Owain didn’t want to jinx his work, but Severa played rough. “Now come, they’re sitting under that tree. We must make haste” Before she could even realize it he was already off to approach the unsuspecting couple. 

“…So much for a team effort…” Lucina sighed reluctantly having to follow her excited cousin a few paces back. By the time she had caught up to Owain she could already sense that Brady and, especially, Severa were tense. He must’ve interrupted a moment.

“You want to what?” An unimpressed Severa stood, her arms folded tightly to her chest, “I thought we trained in big groups. A solo sparring session? Tch sounds to me like a challenge to duel”

“I just want to assess your skills without pressure of a big group” Lucina explained, a little white lie for the greater good. “I’ll be able to observe more firsthand”

The redheaded girl assessed the current situation; she couldn’t ignore a direct order like this. The reluctant pair would have to participate in their own literal hell…being so physically close to the people that they were trying to get over. Ugh of course. She was going to have to step it up for both of their sakes and use her greatest superpower. Master manipulation. Taking a wooden sword from Owain, she pressed the pointed end at his chest. “Fine, I fight him.”

Brady was dumbfounded by this entire situation. He wasn’t sure if he believed Lucina’s motivation to independently train. Surely Gerome would be a better co-captain when it came to assessing combat. Maybe it was a trap. He looked from a wide eyed Owain to a smirking Severa to a perplexed Lucina. 

Owain started to chuckle, standing in place, as he was unsure how to handle the wrath of the smaller girl before him. “You my dear will be fighting Lucina, no offense Brady, but your girlfriend here is a better sword hand. She’d get the most out of training with our champion”

Catching on to what Severa was trying, Brady looked to Lucina, “But if she’s our best shouldn’t she be the one trainin’ me?” He paused, “….I don’t even use a sword! Gerome should be trainin’ me”

“Ah ah you should be prepared for anything my friend” Owain confidently spoke up, really wishing that Severa would move the wooden sword pressed up against his chest. Its point was sharper than he thought it was; the downside of being an excellent craftsman. “If your axe is broken and all that is left on the battlefield is a sword, the most common weapon in combat, you should know the basics. Since I am more similar to your build it would make the most sense that I assist you. Don't fret, I have also crafted an axe to get you warmed up today”

The quiet Lucina had been impressed with Owain’s quick response; he’d make an excellent speaker one day. “There’s an open field over there. I promise you can return to your date when we’re done”

“Fine” A reluctant Severa pulled the sword away from Owain, not happy with the current situation. She pulled Brady down to her level by the robe to whisper something in his ear, something so soft that neither Owain nor Lucina could pick up. “You’re going to regret this. I’m not going to go easy on you princess”

“I would expect nothing less from you” 

The four friends took to the open field; with plenty of space between them, Brady and Owain on one end, Lucina and Severa on the other. Curious friends took to the invisible sidelines to observe the battle before them. Kjelle had already started on taking bets on who would win the fight between the ladies. As expected Lucina was voted the favorite to win, partly because most of the group didn’t want to see Severa win.

Each of the girls started ten paces apart from one another, taking what little time to come up with a strategy on how to win. Severa wanted this over with as quick as possible, she was a-okay with pushing down her feelings. The less time she’d have to spend with Lucina the better it would be for her. Lucina on the other hand had been hoping for a longer battle, and then she could ease into a conversation with her friend. The best case scenario is to find out why Severa constantly snubs her. 

“Ready whenever you are” Lucina barely made it into her stance and put up a decent block as Severa had already gone onto the offensive. Severa was going in aggressively, a full on assault of slashes. Lucina noted, as blocking each one and taking appropriate steps back, that Severa never fights risen this sloppily. Something was off. It was almost as if she wanted to hurt Lucina, that this was personal.

Lucina could see it in the red-heads eyes where and how she was going to strike next. The princess used that to her advantage with a side step, forcing Severa into a stumble, and going onto the offensive. “Severa you’re dropping your shoulder” She advised, after all this was a training session. 

This only seemed to anger Severa further, if that was even possible. The red-head made the mistake of a jump to slash down at her opponent. If this were a real fight Lucina would jump back and kick her opponent while they were on the ground. She didn’t actually want to hurt Severa so she changed her tactic to block and use her strength knock the wooden sword out of her attacker’s hand. Lucina pointed her sword at the unarmed girl, signifying her win, “Pick it up, we go again”

“How about, I don’t want to do this in the first place?” Severa turned her back on Lucina to walk a few paces and pick up the wooden weapon. She scoffed; if she didn’t have a weapon then there would be no training. In defiance she used her thigh to snap the wooden sword in two, earning a dramatic gasp from onlookers Cynthia and Morgan. It wasn’t the best way to do it, her leg was smarting from the sharp pain but she was hoping that this would at least be over. “You gave them your show. The great Lucina wins again” All Severa wanted was to get out of there but as she tried to pass, Lucina gripped her wrist to hinder her. “Let go of me, now”

“We go again.” Lucina placed the sword she was holding in Severa’s hand. “You forgot Owain made an extra sword for Brady. Since it appears he’s still using his axe I’m sure they would not mind if we borrowed the sword” It was one thing to be mad at Lucina, she could handle that. For whatever she had done she was sure she didn’t mean it. What she couldn’t have was Severa disrespecting her in front of their peers. 

Lucina retrieved the extra sword from Owain’s bag and returned to the fight. Round two as Kjelle so loudly provided to the spectators. Wanting to get the first strike in Lucina made a move to horizontally slash at her disgruntled opponent. Now it was Severa’s turn to be on the defensive. Lucina was far more tactical and relied on her speed rather than her pure strength. She had Severa back tracking her footsteps as she made her advances. The other girl was too slow to be able to make an offensive move of her own. It was only a matter of time before Severa’s sword was once again knocked out of her hand. “Pick it up we go again” 

Severa could feel her blood boiling, not only was her plan falling apart but now she was being humiliated and outsmarted. Was Lucina a better swordfighter? At the end of the day, yes, of course she was. But right now she was making Severa look like an idiot, as if this was her first day of ever holding a sword. Angry at herself she threw the wooden sword at Lucina’s feet, without thinking she threw a punch at Lucina’s distracted face. She was horrified that she had struck the object of her desire but she played it off, she had to play it off, and appear like she had a clue to what she was doing, “What’s the matter? Always hide behind a sword? Round three come on. You’re not always going to have a weapon to protect your pretty face”

Severa wanted to fight dirty? Fine. That was it. Lucina also dropped her sword, quick to put a hand up to catch the next oncoming fist. “Why are you so angry with me?” She twisted Severa’s arm behind her back, “Something is bothering you, I know it, please just talk to me.”

Lucina was answered with a stomp on her foot and an elbow to the side of her head, freeing up the other girl. “Why don’t you mind your own business for once?”

In one of her most ungraceful moves, Lucina lowered her shoulder and tackled Severa to the ground, bringing herself down with it. She didn’t want them to keep fighting so harshly so she pinned the other girls hands down. Maybe sparring to get the other girl to talk wasn’t the best laid out plan, but she at least got Severa to admit that she had a problem. It was a small victory. “What did I do to make you hate me so much?”

“Let go of me! Ugh!” Severa tried to pull herself out of Lucina’s grasp but it was to no avail. “You’re an idiot, I don’t hate you.”

Oblivious to the entirety of what was going on next to them, Brady and Owain were actually having a good time. Even laughing as they sparred, it was like they weren’t even separated. Brady had been showing Owain that he had learned a lot with his axe and was pretty capable of himself in battle. In fact the two were tossing back and forth ideas for names of Brady’s staff. 

“This is challenging for me” Owain admitted, he had been practicing his dodging skills by jumping back out of the way of Brady’s attack. “I’m used to names that strike fear into the enemy. A staff doesn’t do that. It doesn’t cut with righteous fury! It…heals the wounded.”

“I don’t want somethin’ that’s pansy either. How about Pegasus Horn?” He slashed his axe diagonally to try and catch Owain off guard but to no avail. 

“….Brady….leave the creative naming to me that sounds awful. Literally awful.”

“Tch yeah I suppose Inigo could come up with a better name, right?” Brady spat, “You two are the ‘creative type’.” Aha! That was the kind of confession that Owain was hoping for out of this ridiculous sparring match. How could he be so blind? Brady was obviously hurt that he and Inigo were getting close. He must have been feeling left out, he’s not a swordsman, he doesn’t have the outgoing friendly personality, and his face scares all of the women away. Though the last one shouldn’t matter now, he’s got himself a girlfriend. Brady was obviously jealous and threatened that Inigo was in the picture. 

“Shit shit shit!” Brady pushing Owain out of the way to rush to the battle of Lucina and Severa snapped Owain out of his epiphany. Owain turned around to see that Lucina was quite literally on top of Severa, holding her down to the ground. Oh this couldn’t have been good. He quickly rushed into hero mode to pass up Brady and pull Lucina off of the angry red-head. 

“You okay?” Brady was quick to his girlfriend’s side, helping her to her feet, “What the hell Lucina?”

“I…I don’t know what came over me” All of this pressure was starting to make her crack, “Severa I’m sorry”

“….Look I’m only going to say this once. What I did was uncalled for. I broke your stupid sword and…punching your face. I didn’t mean that.” Severa did her best to ignore the dopey look on Brady’s mug, “It won’t happen again. But this time” She directed her attention to their princess. “Leave me alone” She started making her way out of the field and toward the forest into the distance. Knowing that Brady was a couple of paces behind her she shouted, “That means you too Brady!”

Brady sighed in defeat and turned to Lucina and Owain, “She’ll be fine…” He didn’t know what else to say. He just worried about the silent guilt storm inside of Severa’s head. Brady was going to have to figure out a way to cheer her up, if that was even going to be possible. 

Owain sensing the tension surrounding the situation moved to drape an arm around Lucina’s shoulders, the other around Brady’s. “I think we all deserve a break, and a drink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we're going to be seeing some of Severa's family, she's going to need it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little short, (and will probably be the shortest chapter of the entire fic) but I hope you all enjoy. It's a bit of a pre-cursor to the next phase of the story.

It didn’t take long for news of Lucina and Severa’s fight to spread. With such a tight knit group everyone talked and eventually the gossip had gotten to Lucina’s mother, Sumia. She couldn’t believe that her best friend’s child would strike her daughter during a simple sparring match. Chrom just wanted this all squared away before it could possibly get worse, so he called for a meeting of both parents to discuss their eldest daughters.

“I’m sure she didn’t do it on purpose” Cordelia had been the first to speak up, wanting to defend her daughter’s actions, “If this were two men taking a sparring match a little too far, would we really be having this meeting?”

“She does have a point…” Robin pulled out a chair for his wife to sit down, “Do you think it’s more than that?”

“I just don’t want personal drama to get in the way of what’s at stake” The parents of the future’s children didn’t know them very well. Heck in this timeline Lucina was still just a baby. They were still all forming bonds and getting to know one another, making the right parenting decisions was all still so new. “I’m not trying to put blame on anyone here…but we need to get to the bottom of this tension”

“Maybe they’re fighting over a boy” Sumia tried to helpfully suggest, it wasn’t uncommon for two people to fall for the same person. The three other parents silently thought about what she was implying. Lucina and Severa fighting each other over Brady’s attention? That seemed highly unlikely.  
“I’ll talk to her” Cordelia volunteered, confident that if anyone could talk to an emotional Severa it would be her. At least, that was what she was hopeful for. As she opened the door to the barracks she found Cynthia and Morgan stumbling forward, “Hear anything good?” Cordelia could only shake her head at their antics, laughing quietly to herself hearing the first bit of her husband’s ‘eavesdropping is bad’ speech.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

Severa had found herself a nice place in the woods to finally give herself some real alone time. She had found a nice rock to sit on overlooking the river. There was something about the calm of the water flowing that put her mind at ease. Here she didn’t have to worry about anything, bandits possibly, but she could handle that. After a while she laid her back down onto the rock and gazed upon the treetops touching the sky…she could never have a quiet moment such as this in the future. 

“Mind if I join you?” Severa’s peace was broken by her mother’s voice. Great, this day was going to get much worse before it got any better. “I brought you your favorite desert.” 

Severa sat up to glare at her mother, “Didn’t they tell you I just wanted to be alone? I can take care of myself out here” The pie was an appreciated gesture, one that she couldn’t say no to, so despite bitterly brushing her mother off she reached for the offered plate.

Cordelia had taken that as a win and sat herself down next to her daughter. “I heard what happened” She allowed her long legs to dangle over the side of the rock, enjoying the view of the river beneath them. “You….punched Lucina in the face?”

“Tch yeah, yeah I’m a horrible awful person. Are you here to scold me? Because if you are just get it over with.” Severa would never admit it out loud, especially to Cordelia, but in moments like these she actually felt like a real family. That she was just a regular teenage girl getting yelled at by her mother for doing something dangerous, stupid and fun. “Look I apologized to her, and if everyone is blowing this out of proportion it’s their problem. I didn’t mean to hit her in the face, I just kinda snapped. Please, if this was any other person in the world it wouldn’t be such a big deal. But Lucina is the pretty pretty princess, the apple of our futures eye”

“Hmm” Cordelia hummed, patting the spot next to her, inviting her daughter to take a seat. “I may not be the mother from your world, but I’d like to think I can trust my instincts and observations. It’s okay to talk about your feelings, I’m here now, you don’t have to feel like the world is against you. You don’t have to put this front up around me”

All Severa wanted to do was to let her guard down, especially for her mother. She wanted Coredelia’s approval more than anything; just some sort of miniscule acknowledgement would make her happy. If she knew the truth? No, Severa couldn’t risk that, not now, not when they were starting to form a relationship. “You were so in love with Chrom, I always wondered if dad ever meant the same…if you could ever get over someone you love so much”

Cordelia wasn’t expecting her feelings for Chrom to come up in conversation, but for once Severa wasn’t trying to be snippy so she had to take advantage of this moment. “I…admit it wasn’t easy” Cordelia reached down to squeeze her daughter’s hand. “Yes, I did love Chrom and maybe a part of me still always will care for him. That doesn’t mean I don’t love your father any less. My love for Chrom it was never real” She closed her eyes, no; she was phrasing this all wrong. “It’s not the same feeling when the person you care about doesn’t feel the same way about you. Robin, er, your father…I love him very much and it’s more fulfilling because I can feel his love for me”

“Ew” Severa frowned, wiping some frosting off of the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. “That better not be a euphemism for something else”

“One of the worst feelings in the world is loving a person who doesn’t love you back. It doesn’t mean that’s the finish, there’s someone out there for everyone. Sometimes you find it in a place you least suspect” Cordelia paused, testing the waters with her next question, “Is everything going alright with you and Brady?”

“What?” Severa frowned in confusion, oh yeah, her plot to keep her hidden feelings for Lucina a secret. “Oh, yeah. He’s fine and dandy. Whatever” She quickly waved off the question, “There was always some part of me that figured when you were with dad that you just…settled. That no matter what you say or do or think of you’ll always be longing after Chrom. That’s why you were so quick to die for him”

Cordelia winced at how flippant Severa could be when mentioning her counterpart’s death, “I hold my duty as a Pegasus Knight very dearly. I have to uphold my responsibility, which has nothing to do with Chrom specifically...I would do the same for Lissa, or Sumia.” She paused, “But remember I made a promise, I would never leave you again.”

“You can’t really promise that…but thanks, I guess” Severa folded her arms reluctantly, leaning up against her mother’s side, “I just want to stop feeling like this” 

Cordelia wasn’t sure what exactly Severa meant by that. She then started to rub her daughter’s back, trying her best to soothe her, “You’re going to be okay. I’m right here for you, I will always be right here for you. No matter what” Severa could only close her eyes to keep herself from showing weakness and allowing herself to cry. The irony of being in the exact same situation as her mother wasn’t lost on her. But if her mother could find a second love that meant there was some hope for her yet.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

“Another!” Since the fight, Owain had taken his cousin and his best friend Brady out to the tavern to try and let off some steam. He placed three hardy mugs of ale onto their table and sliding next to Brady to return to his seat. “Oh, you might want to consider getting a new mask” Owain observed Lucina’s cheek starting to bruise. 

“Ah, don’t worry about it” Brady didn’t even bother to look, “I can heal that, no problem, when we get back”

On her second drink, Lucina didn’t waste any time, she cut right to the chase by squaring up the boy trapped into the middle of the round table/booth. “Brady, why does Severa dislike me so much?” When he only seemed more preoccupied in his drink she shook his sleeve, “You must know something”

“Ah it’s not my place” He really wasn’t good with talking when Severa wasn’t around to play guard dog. Not that the alcohol was actually helping in keeping his mouth shut, “Not that she hates you or nothin’ uh” Brady shook his head, “I don’t know anything”

Curious response. Lucina took silent note of his clear avoidance of an actual answer, “When Severa gets mad at you, what do you do to get back into her good graces?”

“Honestly?” Brady knew all Severa wanted to do was avoid Lucina all together but maybe this would be his opportunity to help. That girl was way too stubborn for her own good, “I’d buy her something nice n’pretty”

Owain made a face, “Yes but you’re courting her” He then couldn’t help himself but laugh at the idea of his cousin getting Severa of all people jewelry. “Lucina getting her a gift would just be…well, silly”

“I-I certainly don’t want to give that impression” Brady wasn’t sure if it was the swelling but he could have sworn Lucina was blushing at the suggestion, she even stumbled over her speech. The princess never did that. “There must be another solution”

“She’s got a sweet tooth” Brady continued, “If she’s really mad at me, I just make her cake or a pie and she’s in a better mood”

“Who would have guessed my Brady would be such an expert on women!” Owain was starting to feel the effects of the ale through his system. His voice much louder than usual, “Perhaps in your free time you should give me pointers!” Leaning back comfortably in his booth he draped an arm around his friend’s shoulders, “I’ve been trying to get Kjelle’s attention for quite some time. She only privileges herself to the finest of warriors. I think I’ve more than proven myself on the battlefield. You must help me”

Brady didn’t know what to say, he didn’t even know that Owain even liked Kjelle. Some best friend he was, no wonder Owain was spending more time with Inigo. He wanted help with girls. Something Brady wasn’t actually good at. “I dunno” The drink set in front of him suddenly became far more interesting to him than the subject at hand. 

“It has nothing to do with your abilities on the battlefield” Lucina piped in, sensing that Brady was starting to get a bit uncomfortable. “She finds you to be a bit of a buffoon”

“…Oh…” Owain wasn’t going to let that discourage him, if anything that would be fuel to do better. “Looks like I’ll have to practice being a hero more frequently with Cynthia. Make a grand entrance. Ah! Brady we can have you pretend to be a bandit and attack her”

“No thanks” Not only did Brady want to take any part in Owain trying to court Kjelle he quite literally did not want to get stabbed in the heart. Anything to do with disguise and attacking one of the fiercest warriors would end in a cruel swift death by spear. “…I gotta pee” He needed to be away from this table, this conversation. 

Brady broke free from being at the center of the table and taking solace in the rest room of the tavern. “Shit” He ran a hand through his spiked hair and tried to get a hold of himself. This was starting to become much harder than he could ever anticipate. At least tonight he could take comfort in the alcohol. That always provided a good distraction from the pain he was feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to set up the fun craziness for the next chapter. Severa's going to have a new plan


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been in the middle of moving. So this is up later than I thought, but here it is!

After such an intense emotional session in the woods with her mother, Severa returned to Brady’s tent in hopes she could spend the night away from the family and with someone who really understood her. She was surprised to see that he was completely passed out on his bedroll, annoyed she nudged his back to try and wake him from his slumber. It was still early in the night, there was no way he should be this exhausted from a non-fight with Owain. “Wake up we need to talk”

“Ugggh my head is spinning” Brady groaned, turning on his side and away from the girl, “Can’t we do this in the morning?” Normally he would be thrilled to comfort Severa, especially knowing that there was a lot going on in her head. “I don’t feel good”

“You don’t feel good? How do you think I feel right now?” Severa sat on her makeshift bedroll on the other side of his tent. Since the two had started to pretend date she never minded taking power naps in the safety of this space. “I completely lost it, and then I was this close” She held her thumb and pointer finger barely centimeters apart, “To spilling my guts to my mother. That would’ve been awful! I finally have her in my life again and I’m going to screw it up, I just know it. I’m scared okay? Ugh! I hate this so much” She brought her knees up to her chest, “I’m going to drive myself mad…are you even listening?” 

A loud snore answered that question, Brady had already gone back to sleep. It made Severa wonder what the heck he had been up to while she was in the forest. From the smell of him she had to guess that it was something alcohol related. He positively reeked. Giving up on trying to actually talking to her friend she laid out on her bed roll and looked to the ceiling Maybe all of this was just some big mistake. So she had security in a fake relationship, what did that matter if she had to lie to everyone? 

“S-Severa? Are you in there?” Severa panicked at the sound of her friend Noire’s voice. What could she possibly want at this hour? Knowing that her friend had a habit of coming in to wake her up, the red head sprung into Brady’s bedroll, accidentally kneeing him in the torso in the process. 

“Ahhhhh Severa! Gods!” Brady yelped loudly, having been awoken unpleasantly by the sudden pain. He held onto his side, trying to process why the red-head was curled up next to him in bed. He didn’t remember her joining him. When did she even enter the tent? 

“Oh! Oh I am so sorry! I didn’t know I was interrupting something!” Noire apologized, having gotten the wrong idea from the noise that emitted from Brady. “I um…was hoping you would, you know” she felt so embarrassed to admit that she needed someone to go with her to use the restroom. Severa wasn’t alone right now and she didn’t want the young man to think she was completely helpless. “I could hold it if you wanted to um, finish?”

“What the hell is happening?” Brady asked in a hushed tone. “Why’re you on top of me?”

“Give me a second!” Severa then lowered her voice, “Sorry, you okay? Noire just has to pee and I didn’t want her to see us sleeping in separate bedrolls. We’re supposed to be a couple, remember?” Brady dumbly nodded, barely keeping his eyes open. “Just go back to sleep. I’ll explain tomorrow when you’re…hungover.” Severa joined her friend outside a couple of moments later, “Sorry to make you wait, c’mon let’s get this over with” 

“I’m sorry for interrupting” Noire apologized again as the pair started to walk off to a place more private for Noire to do her business. “You know how it can be…”

“It’s okay, seriously.” Severa folded her arms, despite trying to show that she wasn’t bothered by this at all, she found some comfort in doing something normal. As normal as it could be to make sure your friend doesn’t get attacked while using the restroom. For the first time all day it wasn’t about Lucina or Owain or lies. “I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you”

“You’re too kind to me” Noire found a place behind a bush in order to do her business. 

“Heh who could be mean to you?” Severa folded her arms and leaned up against a nearby tree, watching out just in case. It wasn’t often for her to be referred to as kind, it felt foreign, but appreciated. “It’s a nice night, the moons pretty” She kept her voice low enough to not draw any attention their way, but she needed to fill the silence. 

“Yes it is…although the full moon means it’s the best time of the month for hexs. Mother will be thrilled” Noire had finished up and returned to Severa’s time, “Thank you again for coming with me”

“Not a problem, it’s never a problem.” Severa started to lead her back to her tent in the camp, “If you need me for anything at all….that’s what I’m here for” The two walked in relative silence until they were close enough to see that tonight Inigo and Gerome were in charge of tending to the fire for the night. “Poor Gerome” Severa wanted to laugh, the most talkative person in their group suck with someone who didn’t want anything to do with. “Wonder what they’re talking about”

“Severa you shouldn’t eavesdrop” 

“Morgan and I did all the time when we were younger” Severa smiled fondly at memories of her and her sister’s antics when they were little…only to be reminded that Morgan didn’t even remember her. “C’mon” She pulled Noire’s arm and tried to get close enough so they could hear without Gerome sensing that they were there. He may not have magics but Severa could swear he had a sixth sense. 

“I cannot believe it!” Inigo stood from his seated position around the fire, “The one time I take you out to be my accomplice with the ladies is the time I go to a tavern’s whose clientele is for men who seek the company of other men. And you still get more attention than I do! Blasphemy!” 

“Perhaps you were trying to hard” Gerome found the situation humorous, but didn’t allow any sort of emotion to show. “Or not enough, I’m sure if you were to dance you would steal any attention away from me. I know how much you enjoy attention.” 

Inigo groaned, holding his head in shame and sitting back down, “Word of this cannot get out.”

“Believe me. I don’t want anyone to know that we’ve spent time outside of this camp together. No one’s going to say anything” Gerome did not want word of this ‘gentleman’s outing’, as Inigo called it. The other man had high hopes of getting Owain, Brady, Gerome and himself together as an entourage. The idea was not very appealing to Gerome. 

“I should have known Gamecocks wasn’t just a tavern that prided itself on the preparation of chicken” Inigo sighed dramatically, mulling over his decision making skills.

Gerome shrugged, “Speak for yourself, the meal I had was probably some of the best chicken I had ever tasted. You should have spent less time trying to woo women who weren’t interested and try some” 

“This is too good” Severa whispered, mostly to herself, although Noire had picked up on it. She made it a new goal to try and find this place so she could take a sobered up Brady. They deserved a night on the town where they could be themselves without anyone caring…if not for her than for Brady. 

“Don’t be mean” Noire’s shook Severa’s arm, her voice also low. “I don’t feel right listening in; we should go back…Brady’s probably worried about you”

“…Fine” Severa didn’t want to get caught by the two having a very private conversation, besides she had learned everything she needed to know. It was only a bonus that she had some information over Inigo for the next time he was being a jerk around her or Brady. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

The next morning Severa left Brady a few things to help his morning hangover; a glass of water to hydrate him, a loaf of bread so he could try to eat something and a bucket in case he wanted to puke his guts out. She was going to need him in top form if she wanted to convince him to go to the tavern Ingio and Gerome spoke of. Chores weren’t as fun without the company of her friend. They usually spent their mornings complaining about the others, or making fun of their parents generations actions. Maybe in another world where they could be attracted by one another would they make a great couple. Days like this reminded her how easy that other world could be. Today she decided to do double the work load so Brady wouldn’t have to wear himself out or get sick. She had taken his battle axe and used it to cut the firewood to provide for the camp. Severa didn’t notice how engrossed into her work she had gotten until she noticed Lucina walking toward her, holding a basket. Now what did she want? “I’m busy” 

“Doing your boyfriend’s work? Is Brady alright?” Lucina didn’t want to come on too strongly, since their last encounter she had been mulling over different ways to approach the other girl. With Brady’s advice from last night she was sure to be able to start a conversation and try to reconnect properly. Even apologize for how things had gone out of control in their sparring match. 

“Just dehydrated” Severa set the axe down in a safe location and started to take off her gloves. “Is there something you needed?”

“I come with a peace offering” Lucina offered up the basket to Severa, “I made you lunch.” She carefully studied Severa’s current state; she must have been working for hours in the sun. “Care to join me?”

Severa knew that this was dangerous territory but she couldn’t just say no, the avoid Lucina plan at all costs wasn’t doing her any good, “Promise not to tackle me?” 

“You have my word” A relieved Lucina set up a picnic area so they could enjoy a quick meal with one another. Severa sat herself next to her old friend and started digging through the picnic basket; chopping wood really could drain a person. “I wanted to apologize”

Severa glanced up from the basket, “I’m the one who punched you, you don’t need to apologize for reacting” She didn’t want to make a big deal of this anymore, “Just forget it even happened”

“I forced your hand” Lucina argued, she needed Severa to understand how horrible she had felt, “My intentions for sparring was completely selfish. I thought…it’s rather silly of me, but I thought if we could spar I could ease into a conversation about us”

The red-headed girl had been mid sip of water and ended up coughing at the word, ‘us’, patting her chest to try and relieve herself she asked, “Excuse me?”

“I’m not a fool, I know you’ve been avoiding me” Lucina stated trying to come off as calmly as possible, “It’s been plaguing my thoughts, I didn’t know what I’ve done to upset you and…I miss us” The young lord had been tearing apart a piece of bread to occupy her hands, she was never the best at expressing her feelings. “We used to be so close”

“You didn’t do anything” Severa didn’t realize she could possibly have this much of an effect on the other woman. She could see the sadness behind her eyes that she blamed herself for everything and that couldn’t have been further from the truth. “And please, don’t lose any sleep over me. I’m not worth it”

“Is that really what you think?” Lucina’s eyes softened, her heart aching for her friend’s admission. “You will always be one of the most important people in my life. Our fathers are best friends, our mothers…”

Severa huffed defensively, “So what? You want to continue on the family tradition?” 

“No! I mean, yes” Lucina brought a hand to her forehead, rubbing at her temples; Severa could be so frustrating to just try to talk to. “Some of the happiest moments of my life were with you; Morgan and Cynthia too. Just the four of us. You saw me for the person I was, before our parents died…before all of this.” She smiled fondly for distant memories, “I could use a friend”

“Hate to burst your bubble but…everyone here is your friend” Severa pointed out, fighting hard not to physically get closer to her friend. All she wanted to do was envelop her into a hug. Of course she couldn’t, getting close was too dangerous, “They worship the ground you walk on, you can do no wrong”

“Everyone depends on me as a leader, that’s not the same thing” Lucina shook her head, further explaining, “I’m their hope for a brighter future. The pressure is overwhelming and I fight everyday not to crack. I have to be strong for them…they don’t see what’s under the armor”

“…But you’re falling apart. I get it” Severa reached behind the picnic basket to give her friend’s hand a comforting squeeze, “I will always have your back, even if it seems like I don’t care. I do. More than you’ll ever know”

“…Thank you” Lucina smiled, “If anyone could understand my struggles it would be you. It feels nice to speak so freely…but oh, I seemed to have talked too much about myself. This is supposed to be about you” And more importantly forgiveness.

“Please, I love hearing Miss Perfect admit that she’s human” Severa teased, removing her hand and reaching into the picnic basket to pull out a freshly baked pie. “You…did you make this?” 

“I knew apple was your favorite” Lucina reached for the knife to help her friend cut the pie into smaller pieces to share. “I wanted to do something nice for you”

Ugh Severa hated this. She hated how caring Lucina could be, and that she put so much time and effort to try and make her feel better. It made trying to get over her so difficult. If she were a man this wouldn’t be a problem, she would even use this opportunity to just come out with it and tell her, “I love apple” Severa took a bite, of course it tasted amazing, which only made her laugh. “You didn’t make this, did you?”

“What?”

“This is totally your mothers cooking!” It wasn’t a secret that Sumia made the best pies in camp, Severa fake gasped, “The Great Lucina has lied! The world as we know it is going to end!”

“I…” Lucina found herself laughing, despite her secret coming out, “I helped make the crust”

“Your secret is safe with me, pie plagiarist” It felt great to be able to just sit and joke with Lucina, even if they were just friends and nothing more. Severa also missed the days of future’s past, now everything was so messed up. Cynthia became more obsessed with training and becoming a hero, Morgan couldn’t remember anything, Lucina had to push down everything she felt in order to be a leader while Severa shut everyone out, afraid to lose any more people she loved. Sitting out on a blanket and eating pie Sumia made felt like maybe things would be okay, at least for this moment.

************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

Severa surprised herself to how much time she had spent with Lucina during the day, it felt like old times. She was proud of herself for being able to be around her without doing something stupid. It was going to drive her crazy that she would constantly have to watch her behavior around her friend so she really wanted a quicker plan to get over her. However, tonight she promised would be about Brady. The poor guy doesn’t drink himself to sleep often so she knew something had to have happened during his night out with Lucina and Owain. 

“You did all my chores?” Brady sat on his bed, surprised to find out that he didn’t have any work to make up. “You hate chores”

“Yeah, chopping wood is the worst” Severa grinned, “That means you owe me a favor, no ifs and’s or buts”

“….So you want me to buy you somethin’” Brady sighed, standing up to get his pouch filled with his coin, “How much?”

“Nope!” Severa linked her arm with her fake boyfriend’s, “We are going out on the town tonight and you can’t argue”

“So, a fake date?”

“….Sort of” Oh boy would Brady be surprised by the establishment she had in mind, “It’s a surprise. But come on! If we’re going to sneak out of camp and get past Cynthia and Morgan we have to do it now” Those two could be extremely nosy if they caught wind that someone was sneaking out to the village. Severa couldn’t risk the eavesdropper’s following them into town. 

“Fine! Alright! Let’s go. I could use some fun”

The pair had an easy time getting past the two girls on fire duty. It looked like, to Severa, that Cynthia had been re-teaching Morgan games from the past. Severa had to remember to thank Cynthia for spending so much time with her amnesiac sister. She could dwell on that in the morning. Tonight was about taking Brady out.

“Where are we going?” Brady stood closer to Severa protectively as she turned a corner into an alley. “The tavern is thataway” He used his thumb to motion behind them as she continued leading him through the shadier part of the village. 

“Stop asking questions, will you? I know where I’m going” Truth was she wasn’t but if she presented herself as confident, Brady would never know that she was lost. She had only heard about this place from Inigo and Gerome’s conversation so she had no idea where in the village it actually was. A few more turns and the pair lucked out on finding the establishment, “Here we are!”

“……..Gamecocks?” An unsure Brady read the wooden sign attached to the tavern, a rooster painted onto the side. “Are we going to watch rooster fighting? Because I don’t like the idea of people raisin’ animals to fight. That’s messed up”

“Ugh gawds! Why would you think I would take you to a place like that? Just trust me okay?” Before the tall man could have a chance to be difficult, Severa pulled him by his arm and took him inside. She honestly didn’t know what to expect, but she put on her brave face for the two of them, sitting them right at the bar.

“….Huh” Brady took in his surroundings it didn’t look that different from the tavern he was at last night. But if this was just a regular bar? Why come all the way out to this part of town? It was only on a second observation that he realized that Severa was the only woman in this place. “…Severa…are we in a…” His suspicions were confirmed as he noticed two men sharing a kiss in the corner booth. “Oh”

“Your welcome” While he was looking around the bar like a lost little lamb, Severa had already ordered herself a drink. No one here was going to buy her one, “Relax will you? You’re never going to get a man if you look like a stag before its hunted”

Brady frowned in confusion, “But a stag doesn’t know it’s being hunted, a skilled archer wouldn’t let it know that it’s about to be dinner. Therefore the stag would look completely natural”

“…Are you daft?” Severa sighed aggressively, amazed at what Brady could pick out of a conversation. “Shut up that’s not the point I was trying to make” She took a sip of her drink, trying to hide a cringe behind the burn of a strong alcohol, “We have to stop torturing ourselves”

“…Right I didn’t tell you” Brady looked to the counter, avoiding Severa’s concerned gaze, “Owain’s got eyes for a girl at camp. If I didn’t think I had a chance before…I’m supposed to be helping him court her. How twisted is that?”

“Wait, what!? Who?” That probably wasn’t the part she should have honed in on, judging by the sullen look Brady was giving her, “Sorry…I’m sorry Brady. That’s why I wanted to bring you here. Not that I knew…look this whole I’m in love with my best friend thing is horrible. It’s hard enough hiding our secrets from our families. Here, we can be ourselves and it doesn’t matter. You could be with…” Severa took a glance around the bar and noticed a young man sitting across from them, “That guy and it doesn’t matter. Who cares? My mother says that the best way to get over your first love is to find someone new”

“That does make an awful lotta sense” It didn’t make Brady any less nervous, sure it was nice to be among people who understood what he was going through and felt similar attractions toward the same sex but he had no idea how he should be acting. “You don’t think my face’ll scare ‘em off do you?”

“No! These are men, not women” Severa didn’t mean for that to sound as harsh as it did, “What I mean is, you’ve got this gruff spikey hair rebel look going for you. Plus scars are sexy, so I’ve been told” 

“Mmm they are” The bartender piped into their conversation, setting a local beer in front of Brady. “Your first time out?”

“That obvious?” Brady frowned looking to the drink, “I didn’t order that”

“He did” The bartender nodded across the way to the young man Severa had pointed out earlier. “I would go over there if I were you, he’s cute”

“He…likes me?” Brady stared dumbly across the way; he wasn’t used to people actually liking him. At least in a romantic sense, he figured he’d always be stuck with Severa as a friend. “What do I say? What do I do?” 

“Stop freaking out, breath through your nose, don’t look like a mouth breather” Severa took his arms to calm him down, it was like a snake crawled his pant leg, “Just go over there and talk like a human” She paused, “Be the stag”

“The one that’s about to be hunted?”

“The one that doesn’t know it’s being hunted and is acting natural. Ugh! Just go over there!” Severa kept her voice low, but sharp, “Now go make me proud”

“Alright, alright I got this” He took the wooden mug and made his way around the bar, “This seat taken?” Brady had gone out with Owian and Inigo enough to know the basics, he just had to switch out woman with man and he was golden. 

The blonde man smiled, happy that Brady had accepted his drink and motioned for him to join him. “Please sit” He wasted no time to introduce himself, “I’m Byron”

“Brady….oh right manners, thanks for the drink. I uh, I’m new at this” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, he was probably already screwing things up.

“It’s okay, relax, no one here is going to judge you” Byron turned in his chair to face the rest of the bar, “Those two men over there? They’re wandering farm hands who take work where they can get it. You actually see a lot of that…between the farms and the mines. Ah, over there that’s the jeweler trying to court the blacksmiths apprentice” He laughed, “I was pulling for them”

“And you? What is your trade?” Brady asked curiously, he could tell that this man was likely a local as he recognized practically everyone in the bar. 

“I am the baker’s son” He turned back in his chair, “The youngest of five”

“Oh” Brady grinned, “That explains your arms” Byron on reflex looked down at them, a little confused to where his new companion was taking this, “They’re strong n’stuff from …kneading dough” Idiot. Brady mentally scolded himself, taking a drink to stop himself from making a fool of himself. 

“I can’t say I’ve heard that one before” The baker laughed, finding Brady endearing, he could tell that the other man was nervous, “What about you Brady, I haven’t seen you here before”

“I’m a healer” Byron’s eyes widened with shock, “I get it, I know, I don’t look like the healin’ type. I got the staff and robes an’ everything”

“I bet you look fetching, I’m picturing it now” The blonde man chuckled, trying to make his companion feel more at ease with himself, “Would you like to sit at table? That could be better for conversation”

“Uh…” Brady looked across the table to make sure Severa was alright, the two friends made eye contact and she winked a signal to just go for it. “Sure, I’d like that. But next round is on me” 

Brady followed the other man to a rounded booth, closer to the back of the tavern. He thought of Severa’s advice about moving on, or at least to be himself tonight. Was Byron here the one? Probably not, no, but that shouldn’t stop him from enjoying his company. If anything he could finally talk to someone else who has gone through something similar.

“Can I ask you something?” Brady asked sliding up next to the baker, “…Does your family know? About this?”

“I’ve told my mother” Byron shook his head solemnly, “She’s, disappointed, but she’s trying. I’m too scared to tell my father, to be honest; I’m perfectly content with never telling him”

“Ah yeah, I think my ma would flip if I told her” Brady admitted, “But uh, how’re you so…”

“Comfortable with myself?” Byron could see where this was going, “I like to live in the moment” He tested the waters by placing his hand on Brady’s, “Let’s just enjoy the time we have tonight”

From the bar Severa had nothing better to do but to talk up the bartender and order herself some dinner. She would check every now and again on Brady but for the most part wanted to give him some privacy. He seemed to really be opening up to the blonde wonder. “Aw my idiot is finally spreading his wings” Severa joked, having a good repertoire with bartender by now. She was having so much fun getting the gossip on the gay men in the town that she hadn’t even noticed someone taking a seat next to her. 

“I’ll have the house wine, red” Severa recognized the voice next to her from somewhere, oh no, she turned her head only to be surprised to see Laurent sitting next to her. Oh no. “Curious seeing you here Severa. You should be back at camp”

“You’re one to talk” Severa instantly got on the defensive, if not for her sake than for Brady’s. “What’re you doing here anyway?”

“The chicken dinner is exquisite. I wanted to enjoy it one last time before we start traveling tomorrow, we may never return to these parts”

“…Wait…you’ve been here before?”

“Here you go Laurent” The bartender returned with a red wine and two chicken dinners, one for Severa the other for her companion. “Oh hey, are you two friends?”

“…Whoa whoa, you are on a first name basis with the barkeep here?” Severa noticed that the mage also implied that he had been here multiple times. Did that mean what she thought this meant? “Wait, how long have you been here?” And more importantly did he see that she came here with Brady?

“I just arrived moments ago” He must have sneaked out as well, but this also meant that he hadn’t seen Brady. “But, that doesn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”

“Can’t a girl just enjoy some chicken in a place where she doesn’t have to worry about a guy hitting on her? It’s annoying” It seemed like a good enough excuse, “Now it’s my turn, you’ve been here before?”

“Yes, for the past few nights. I could only enjoy myself for the first night we were camped.” He sighed, “Inigo and Gerome followed me on the second” So that was how the pair wound up in this part of town. “You would have enjoyed that I’m sure”

“I always enjoy witnessing Inigo make a fool of himself” Severa wished she could witness Inigo trying to find a woman here, “…Did you know that this was a…”

“Yes” Laurent could see that Severa had been struggling to find the right words without implying anything for the mage to take offense to. “This isn’t the first of its kind I’ve been to” He disclosed, “I like to keep my personal life private”

“I uh…right” She stole a glance to check on Brady, hoping that in this moment he wouldn’t be in Laurent’s radar. “You don’t have to worry about me saying anything” From the looks of it, Brady was getting so close to the baker that they’re tongues were getting acquainted. “How long have you…known?”

“Our journey from the future was different for each of us” Laurent sighed, “I’ve been traveling alone for years hoping that would run into anyone from our time.” He had never explained this to his father, and was too busy trying to prove to his mother that he in fact was her son that this part of his life didn’t come up. “I was on a journey of self-discovery and needed to fill the void of loneliness. As you know the best way to test a hypothesis is through experimentation. I concluded through my tests that I felt more attracted to males than to females.”

“…Oh…wow. I had no idea” She could have perhaps guessed but that at best could only be an assumption. “Your secrets safe with me” It seemed like she was the one keeping everyone’s secret’s lately.

“It’s not a secret” Laurent shook his head, confusing Severa, “Gerome and Inigo clearly know, you know, my mother and father know. Honestly that is all that matters. I don’t enjoy talking of my personal life when we are in the midst of war. There are more important elements to focus on than who is in bed with me. If anyone wanted to take the time to ask, I would gladly tell them”

“…And they don’t care?”

“As long as I am happy” Laurent tilted his head, “Do you care that I enjoy the company of men?”

“Well no, I thought you would gather that with me being here and…enjoying this chicken” Severa would have to agree with Gerome’s assessment of the food here, this chicken was prepared beautifully. “Are you though? Happy?”

“Hm…yes and no” Laurent used the back of his knuckle to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I enjoy being free to express myself but it can be quite lonely. We travel frequently, any bonds I make is only temporary. In an ideal world I’d like a more substantial companion. But one cannot be selfish in times of war; you and I could wind up dead tomorrow”

“…Thanks for that reminder” Severa rolled her eyes, he was dramatic sure, but right about their current situation. The upcoming battle was more important than love, or at least it should be. “You’re very pleasant to talk to”

“I apologize for making dinner conversation grim, as a gentleman I would make it up to you by paying for your dinner, but as you stated earlier that would be ‘annoying’ of me. You were not seeking male attention”

That brought a rare smile to Severa’s face, “No, but I like the company” Severa didn’t talk to Laurent much, he was often too busy reading a book or in his own little world. But now that she was privy to such personal information she felt like she could consider him a close friend. “Thank you Laurent” She quickly glanced over to check if Brady was doing alright only to see that he wasn’t in the booth anymore. At least with Laurent being here she didn’t have to walk home alone.  
**************************************************************************************************************************************************  
Brady probably shouldn’t have accepted the invitation to go outside but kissing Byron had felt so freeing. Byron had pressed Brady’s body up against the wall of Gamecock’s, as he kissed the man’s neck he started to unbutton his shirt. “Wow” Byron ghosted his fingers over Brady’s defined abs, he never expected a healer to be so fit. The baker then reached down to try and unbuckle Brady’s trousers but was stopped by Brady’s hand. 

“I ah, I can’t do this” Brady had a sudden realization, this was his first time with a guy, and in his gut it didn’t feel right. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be, “I’m sorry I should go”

“What’s wrong is it something I did?” Byron was hurt by the sudden change, “Brady, talk to me”

“Trust me it ain’t you, it’s me” Brady rested his head against the wall behind him, “…I’m just not ready…”

“I ah…I understand” Byron stepped back to give him some space; he wasn’t going to make the other man do anything he didn’t want to do, even if it was disappointing. “…I suppose this is goodbye then?”

Brady leaned forward to kiss his lips, “I won’t forget this” He squeezed the other man’s shoulder, as if that would convey he gratitude he felt for the night. Maybe one day he would be more comfortable with himself to go through with it, but tonight wasn’t that night, it was only the first step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to thank everyone who's been liking and commenting this fic, you guys keep me motivated. I already can't wait to write the next chapter. It's been pretty Severa heavy but the next chapter will do more with Brady's journey.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man I am so so so sorry for not updating this sooner. A lot of stuff's come up and I really didn't want to leave this story unfinished so I'm going to do my best to keep going. I made than the last couple to try and make up for how long it's been. It's nice to get back into the groove of writing.

The journey between the Shepherds camp and their next destination proved to be a long one. With the bridge collapsing it cut off the quickest route the group found themselves having to make their way by walking around. It didn’t bother young heroes Brady and Severa too much; they had been walking towards the back of the pack. As a healer Brady needed to be protected and who better to protect him than his own girlfriend? They were able to share a few laughs of their Gamecock experience over a basket of bread left for Brady. Byron the baker’s son didn’t have any hard feelings and wished him the best of luck before their journey began. Their day had been going great, that was, until Robin left the front lines to pull Brady aside for a conversation leaving a highly confused Severa. 

“I think it’s time we have a conversation” Robin stated sternly, making Brady gulp in anticipation. Brady was no conversational wizard, he knew that, and he could tell by that tone that he was probably in trouble for something. What, he didn’t know; he could only assume it had to do with Severa. “I want to know what your intentions are with my daughter.” Now the time travel and the alternate dimensional timelines made things complicated. Severa technically wasn’t Robin’s daughter, but even so, he treated her as if she was and he expected that it would only be a matter of time before she would exist in this world. 

“Oh” Brady should have seen this coming, even if it was a fake relationship he should have taken the initiate to speak with her father. “Sir, I care a great deal about your daughter” His mother’s teachings rang through the back of his head. Shoulder’s back, don’t walk like a buffoon, speak clearly and eloquently. “I know, I know I’m not the most handsome or most capable in a fight. She’s saved me dozens of times, I ain’t a great protector” Brady frowned, there was a point in here somewhere, “Maybe I’m not the guy you pictured your daughter to be with but I don’t know what I would do without her. She gets me like no one else in the world” Despite having a fake romantic relationship he couldn’t lie about how much she meant to him. When it came down to it, he’d do anything for his best friend, and he was pretty sure she’d do the same for him. “I’m not gonna hurt her if that’s what you’re worried about”

Robin took a moment before responding. To Brady it felt like an eternity to wait for the older man’s next words. Did he pass? Was he going to kill him? Brady was confident that Robin would easily best him in a fight. “Hm” The anticipation was going to kill him, “I’ve also noticed that my daughter spends more evenings in your tent then her own” Where was he going with this, “I didn’t appreciate learning how intimate you two have been from a conversation my wife overheard” What!? 

Brady’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, he had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Obviously he and Severa were never intimate, even if she spent the night she would sleep in a different bedroll. But he couldn’t tell him that, but could he confirm a rumor either? Brady really hated when Severa wasn’t around to help him get out of things. “Well?”

“Sir” Brady breathed, scrambling to come with something to say, anything to say, “I don’t know where or who your wife heard that from” He quickly added, “Not that I’m calling her a liar or nuthin’. Look, sir, people around her will gossip about anything. Yes Severa spends nights in my tent but I can assure you we aren’t…my ma would kill me” He shook his head, that did not sound like a good defense at all, “I took vows as a healer”

“I see” Brady couldn’t gauge at all if Robin believed him, or even remotely liked him. No wonder the guy made such a brilliant strategist. The man had a poker face like he had never seen, and he had been to quite a few taverns with the local greatest. “Thank you, Brady, you know I value honesty” A firm hand clasped on his shoulder, Brady tried his hardest not to flinch on the spot. “And just for the record, if you so much as hurt her…”

Brady paled, “You’ll kill me?”

“I don’t know if I would be able to hold my wife back” Brady was sure that Robin’s chuckle would haunt his dreams for the next couple of nights.

Once Robin had let him go to return to Chrom’s side, Brady quickly moved back to the back of the pack where Severa had been walking alone, awaiting his return. She seemed to be distracted at something ahead of them that she barely registered the panicked Brady upon his return. “You know, I’ve never really noticed this before, but riding horseback really makes a person look…sexy” Severa sighed, Brady looked to the front lines to notice Lucina riding a majestic brown horse. If they were still using their aversion therapy plan he would hit her in the shoulder hard to bring her back to Earth. He was smart enough to consider the conversation he just had with her father and decided a different approach. 

“Your mother and sister both ride horses you know” He pointed out, trying to ruin the vision as much as possible. It wasn’t too hard. All he had to do was mention Cordelia in some sort of passing. 

His statement earned a huff and a scowl from the shorter girl, “Pegasus, but ugh, way to make that weird” She noted that most of the color drained from his face, “Oh! What happened?”

“I’m pretty sure your dad hates me” Brady sighed deeply, “And he accused us of being…”intimate”.”

“WHAT!?” Severa practically shrieked, making Panne and Yarne’s ears twitch and grimace in pain. “Why would he think THAT?” She grabbed the blonde man by his robes and pulled him forcefully down to her level. “Did you say something? Brag to your buddy Inigo? Huh? Well?”

“No! I don’t know where he heard it from!” In a panic he remembered what story Robin had given him. “Apparently your mom heard it from somewhere?” Severa pushed him away with a mix between a growl and a groan. Brady had never witnessed his companion so furious that he didn’t know what to do. “I didn’t say anything I swear!”

Severa became deathly quiet as she scanned the group, looking for the most logical source of such a rumor. Brady noted that her terrifying calm expression ran in the family. “Noire. I could kill her!” Brady followed Severa’s gaze upon the shy girl talking with Yarne. “She must have told Yarne about two nights ago and he’s the biggest blabbermouth. Oh I’ll turn him into a coat!”

“Sweetie” Brady tried to calm her down, patting her shoulder, “Let’s not talk about exterminating a race around the people with sensitive hearing” 

“Never ‘sweetie’ me again” Severa folded her arms, scowling at how ridiculous the word sounded coming from her faux beau. “Now you know how I feel at least” 

“…Bein’ accused of doin’ it kinda goes to both of us?” Brady clutched onto his staff like a safety blanket, “Please don’t hurt me” 

“No” Severa couldn’t yell at Noire, she didn’t have the heart for it, but she’d have to speak to Yarne later. At least there wasn’t a doubt among the camp about their relationship now, her plan was working...just not in the way she was hoping. “Your mom hates me so it’s kinda nice that my dad hates you” She couldn’t help but smile at the idea of Robin giving her fake boyfriend a hard time, it really meant a lot to her that her father would do such a thing. This was the life that could have been. 

“Fantastic” Brady held the bridge of his nose, this whole day was going so well too. “Go back to lusting after the cavalier princess, will ya?” 

For that he earned a good punch to the side of his arm, “Shut. Up. Ugh!” That was the last time she would have to make an observation around her other half. “Just stop talking”

“Fine by me!” 

The two were oddly silent for the next couple of miles. Severa would huff and sigh and bit back complaints about the stupid bridge collapse and how it was such a hassle to do more walking. Brady didn’t say a word as he offered her the water jug every so often. To an outside perspective the two functioned just as an upset couple would have. It wasn’t until the sun started to set when Severa finally broke and spoke up again. 

“I’m sorry” Brady was shocked to hear an actual apology come out of the other girls mouth, she was one to never admit to any wrong doings. “You had a rough day and I was being a brat”

“It’s okay” He sighed, reaching down to hold onto her hand, giving it a light squeeze to signify some sort of forgiveness. “I’m used to you bein’ a brat”

“Har har” Severa rolled her eyes, smiling to show that she wasn’t too offended by the statement. She knew she could be difficult, at least he put up with it. “I was thinking, about the bar last night”

During their silent walk along the path Brady had been reflecting the events of last night. How serious things could have gotten with Byron the bakers son and how comfortable that environment made him feel. “Did you want to see if we could find another one?” He asked hopefully, trying his best to keep his voice as low as possible. Despite being in the back of the pack, they were out in the open. “Maybe we could ah, find one for you-er, ladies?” He wasn’t sure on the proper phrasing for it all. 

“No no it’s not that” Severa paused, “Although if opportunity does come up…” Although she was certain the tavern’s food would be nowhere as delicious as the chicken from Gamecocks. “I don’t want to set us up for countless of empty nights” The redheaded girl had been reflecting on her conversation with Laurent. Despite being ‘out’ in a sense of the word he still seemed so…lonely. 

Brady shook his head in confusion, “I’m not following” 

“You and I both know our little arrangement is to be temporary” Originally Severa was hoping that they could pretend to be together forever if it meant keeping her secret. Things had changed a bit when she witnessed that maybe being attracted to the same sex wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Right now it had to be about getting over their unbearably unfortunate crushes on royalty. “But you said it yourself you couldn’t go through with it last night”

“…Right cause I wasn’t ready but I’m sure I can work myself up to that” Brady was sure of it.

“And then what? That’s not a way to live. When my mother couldn’t have Chrom she moved on and started a meaningful relationship with my father” At least that was what she understood from her mother’s advice, “And look at how annoyingly happy they are”

“I can’t date Owain’s best friend” Brady wasn’t completely understanding what Severa was trying to get at, “I’m his best friend. I certainly can’t date myself. Ma really wouldn’t approve of what I’d have to do with my free time”

“….Gross” Severa closed her eyes, shaking her head at her favorite idiot. “We just need to find someone else to form a meaningful bond and ugh stop being a dolt. I’m trying to formulate a plan”

Brady sighed, another one of Severa’s crazy plans, “Do you ever think your plans are a bit farfetched?”

Severa glared at him, insulted at what he was insinuating, “This is why I’m the brain, and the muscles and you are…you do what I tell you to. I’m the daughter of the great strategist remember? When I want to know how to serve tea, I’ll let you take point”

“Ey! I’ll have you know it ain’t easy” Brady clenched his fist, severely missing the point, “There is a lot that goes into that I’ll have you know”

“Great” With an eyeroll, his response just proved her point, that she should be making all of the decisions. “I think you should try getting to know some of our male comrades a bit more like…say…Laurent” At least Severa knew that he could have a legitimate shot at someone who would be interested. 

“What? That guy? No way! He’s a total stiff” Brady frowned at the idea of trying to have a conversation with the mage. Seeing the determined look on Severa’s face he decided that he could at least get some leverage on her, there was no way she pulled that name out of thin air. “Only if you try to proposition someone of my choosing”

“….You have someone in mind?” Severa quickly tried to run through ideas of who he could possibly have in mind. Cynthia was automatically out for the same reasons as Lucina; royalty was just a bad idea. Besides she basically was attached to Morgan and that would seem totally wrong. Noire wouldn’t be a bad option, she entertained that idea, however the shy girl seemed to have feelings for the groups furry blabber mouth. That really left for two feasible options. 

“Kjelle” Brady responded with a grin, “I’ll even ask Laurent out for a meal if you flirt with her” If she was going to be so sure of this, he was going to get the most out of it. “Deal?”

“It’s because Owain has an interest in her isn’t it?”

Brady shrugged it off, “Are you gonna do it or not?”

Severa thought about it for a moment, if he was going to put himself out there it was only fair. “I can respect your reasoning, it’s on”

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

Approaching Lareunt to even invite him to a meal was proving to Brady to be difficult. The guy was so articulate about everything that borderlined intimidating. Even if Laurent liked guys he’d probably prefer one that could be on his level. He laughed a little to himself at the idea of Laurent talking up a double of himself. Brady just had to bite the bullet and try, at least if he failed then Severa would probably back off the weird idea. “Ey’ ah Laurent”

Brady had found Laurent sitting under a tree, his nose into one of his books. Whenever the group set up camp for the night, Laurent would be off to himself or with his mother doing something intellectual. Usually reading a book or practicing his tomes. “Yes?” Laurent hadn’t been expecting Brady to be the one to interrupt his readings. He decided to give him a full audience by placing his book mark to save his page and close the book. “Was there something you wanted?”

“I uh” Brady rubbed the back of his neck; he had no idea how to ask another guy he barely spoke to out for food. “I was wonderin’ if you could teach me some magics.” It actually was something he wanted to learn, that way he could at least get a magic lesson out of it before fumbling over his words and asking him out on a ‘lunch date’. “I like being a healer and let’s face it. I ain’t much of a fighter. I thought maybe I’d be good throwin’ some fireballs. Maybe you can help a guy out?”

“You want to be my apprentice?” Laurent folded his hands over his book, raising a brow at Brady’s question, “I don’t doubt your abilities for casting, but this would be an entirely new skill set for you and would take time to master them” 

“…Oh…” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be an apprentice but he wasn’t expecting Laurent to praise his abilities. People didn’t normally give him the opportunity. “I wanna try”

Laurent’s lips pulled into a smile that Brady couldn’t quite put together, “Perhaps you’d like to discuss this more over tea? I’ve come across a new blend that I think you’d enjoy” 

“Uh….” Brady blinked; he was the one that was supposed to be doing the asking. “Yeah yeah sure, how about you come by my tent tonight?”

“I’ll see you around sundown” Laurent pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with the back of his knuckle, “Was that all you wished to ask me?”

“Uh yeah I’ll leave ya to your book” The tall blonde had been left confused to what had just happened. He only hoped that Severa was having as much luck as he did. If he could call it luck.

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

Severa really hoped that Brady was having more luck than her at this. She spotted Kjelle doing her daily stretches; this’d be the perfect opportunity. If only she didn’t get distracted by a perfect set of abs. Without all of that bulky armor Kjelle could show off her magnificent body. Hitting on her to spite Owain or whatever Brady wanted to accomplish was going to be much harder than she thought. She couldn’t even bring herself to speak, just settled on staring. 

Kjelle annoyingly took notice and broke Severa of her thoughts, “See something you like?” She smirked knowingly, mid-stretch.

Severa’s cheeks heated up as she flushed pink; instantly going onto the defensive she folded her arms tightly against her chest and scoffed, “As if!”

“Ah” Kjelle stopped her stretch and approached her comrade, wrapping a cloth around her neck in order to soak up any sweat, “So, why you were staring like a hungry wolf?” She grinned, all too appreciative of the attention. “Brady not scratching that itch?”

“Don’t flatter yourself Kjelle, you are such a brute. I was simply appreciating your work ethic” Severa used her hand to motion up and down Kjelle’s body, “I could practically do my laundry on your abs”

“I see” Severa didn’t like the cocky grin sporting on the other girls face, ugh! She should have picked Nah. Nah wouldn’t be making her blood boil or make her feel like such an idiot. “If you want help training I’d be happy to spot you”

“That’s…no” For someone who took her daily life ripping people down with her words she was having an awfully hard time trying to muster up a sentence to get out of this situation. “I’m quite alright thank you please…go over there”

“So you can continue watching me stretch?” she clarified, taking glory in Severa’s face darkening to the shade of her red hair. Kjelle always enjoyed winning, “Or do you have some laundry that you’d like to do?”

“Ugh!” Severa stomped on her foot and stormed off, leaving a laughing Kjelle back to her stretches. A humiliated Severa returned to Brady’s tent with a huff and lay down on his bed roll, cursing all along the way. “I hate you”

“Aw” Brady had been standing in the corner with the chef’s hat Severa hated on, preparing something nice for Laurent that evening when the other girl had barged in on him. “Didn’t go so well?”

“I froze. Me! I froze” She groaned into her hands, “I said that I could do laundry on her abs” That elicited a laugh from her companion, “Shut up! Oh I feel so humiliated about all of this I can’t believe I said that! Who says that!?”

“You have absolutely no idea how to flirt with a woman do you? Miss ‘I’m the daughter of a tactician. I know everything!’.” He wasn’t one to talk, but Severa didn’t need to know that, he absolutely relished in this situation for a change. “I’m surprised you didn’t call her an idiot”

“That would have been better! I was so close to punching that smug look off her face. She thinks she’s so attractive” 

“Is she?”

“That’s not the point” Severa pouted like a child, folding her arms, “Are you making me cookies?”

“You can have one” Mostly because Brady felt bad, “Laurent is coming over for tea and I wanted ta make him somethin’ nice. Make a good impression all that”

The redheaded girl sat straight up and stared at him as if he had grown a second head, “Wait it actually worked? You asked him for tea?”

“…Why do you sound so damn shocked? Guys like me” Brady turned his body away from her as if focusing on the cookies. Really he didn’t want to give away any tells that Laurent was actually the one that suggested tea time. “Remember last night? My scar’s sexy. Oh. But that means you should probably skedaddle soon. I don’t want your dad thinkin’ you’re into somethin’ weird if Laurent comes over while you’re here”

Severa threw a cushion at his head as she got up to leave, “Just remember Laurent’s a gentlemen don’t be so crass!” She had night watch duty anyway. She assumed her father placed her on night watch with Gerome tonight was a consequence of his earlier conversation with Brady. As she exited the tent she bumped into Brady’s guest, “Oh! Hello, uh I was just…leaving. You boys have fun tonight”

“Ah hello Severa” Laurent dug through his satchel and came across a book that he handed to her, “Gerome isn’t much of a conversationalist. This novel will keep your attention”

“What’s it about?” She asked curiously upon seeing that there was no description on the back cover. 

“A tale of bravery” He removed his hat, nodding his head respectfully to Severa before entering the tent. “I hope you don’t mind that I’ve come a bit early, I don’t like to be late”

“Huh?” Brady quickly took off the chef hat, upon hearing a voice that was not his tiny friend. “Oh yeah yeah yeah sit. I made cookies, hope ya like oatmeal”

“I do, thank you” As a guest Laurent did as his host had told him and sat at the makeshift table in the center of the room, “I didn’t realize you bake”

“Ah cause of the whole tough guy thing?” Brady sat across from him, bringing the hot water for the tea and the rest of the cookies. “I’m full of surprises”

“I’ll say” Laurent picked a cookie out of the basket, “Where did you learn how to bake?”

“My Ma, when I was a kid” He smiled fondly at the memory, “I hated it then of course. Owain was learnin’ how to stab people and there I was learnin’ how to bake pastries and play the violin. My father’s one of the best damn swordsmen we got but Ma wanted me to be a healer so when she…y’know” Brady sighed, “I wanted to be everything she wanted” He was trying anyway. 

“So why all of the sudden interest in the darker arts?” Laurent asked curiously, taking a bite out of his host’s dessert, “This is marvelous by the way”

“It ain’t sudden” Brady shrugged, “I just never really talked about it, sometimes I feel like I hold the group back.”  
Laurent tilted his head to the side, “You’re a healer, and I would say that makes you one of the most important people in our group. It’s much harder to replace a doctor then it is to hand someone a sword. In chess you wouldn’t send your bishops into the fray first, now would you?”

“I guess not” Brady wasn’t that great at chess, but he knew the basics, “But still. I think I got a real shot. Nothin’ big, I don’t wanna steal your elthunder” He grinned at his little magic joke, surprised to see a small smile on his guests face, he didn’t think Laurent would have a sense of humor “But I’d like to get better”

“Very well, I’ll teach you” Laurent nodded, “I do admit, I was surprised that you would come to me for help. I understand I’m not everyone’s, ‘cup of tea’ so to speak”

“Ah it’s cause you’re so smart” Brady poured Laurent’s cup of hot water so his guest could add his own flavoring. “I think people’re afraid of talkin’ to ya and soundin’ like an idiot” Laurent could at least respect the honesty, “I mean that in the best possible way”

“Hm…can I inquire about something? I want to test a hypothesis based on my observations” 

Brady scoffed a laugh, “This is one of those examples of smart talk ya know”

“Dully noted” Laurent looked a little a loss for words, Brady figured he just was having a hard time dumbing down his vocabulary for the war-monk to understand. “I had dinner with Severa last night…at a tavern…” Laurent gauged Brady’s reaction; the other man’s eyes went wide. “I believe based on your expression you know what I’m talking about. Now what makes me curious is why Severa would be at an establishment like that when she has a lover to call her own, especially when that clientele has little interest of her”

“….uh…I don’t know why Severa would be at a place like that” Brady had to shove a cookie into his mouth so prevent himself for saying anything stupid. “….whywouldyoubeataplacelikethat?” Ignoring his mother’s teachings he asked with his mouth full. He coughed, pounding a fist onto his chest to clear his throat, “Why would you be in a place like that?”

“I think you could draw up your own conclusion” The mage sighed, “Severa asked you to speak with me didn’t she?”

“…..Did she say somethin’ about me or?”

Laurent shook his head, “Nothing of the sort, she seemed to be trying to distract me. I came to this deduction on my own. …Severa is helping you by pretending to be your girlfriend? It’s very noble of her”

“Somethin’ like that” Brady admitted rubbing the back of his neck, there was no real use to lying to Laurent. If anything it was nice to actually be honest to someone about the situation. He wasn’t about to throw Severa under the bus, her secret was her business alone. “Look don’t tell anyone alright? I’m not ready for that kinda thing”

“I understand, but, I think I can help you…” Laurent brought the teacup to his lips and sipped, “When I was struggling with my sexual identity I didn’t have anyone to talk to, I had companions but…never a friend to speak with. It proved to be a difficult time.” He set the cup down on its resting place, “You can trust me with your secret. But I can also offer you a bit of advice, if you ever want it”

“….You’re….” Brady blinked in surprise, he knew Laurent was a private person but wouldn’t have guessed this. “Thanks. I uh, I could use a friend around that gets it. You know? I don’t know the first thing about all this. It’s pretty damn scary”

“It doesn’t have to be...” Laurent knew a thing or two about being lonely, “You can be honest with me. Now, don’t you feel better with that off your chest?”

“Yeah actually” He laughed, “You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to be in a pretend relationship” Especially one with Severa. 

“I could imagine. To quote, “Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies”. The first step is to be honest with yourself”

“Guess I’m gonna start by being honest with you” Brady laughed, “Who would’ve thunk it huh?” He felt himself relax into his chair, “…Thanks…I’m not really ready for anyone else ta know but…gotta start somewhere right?” Maybe with Laurent’s help he’d finally get the guts to come clean to his parents.

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

Lucina had been spending her evening with her younger sister Cynthia and Morgan. She had been hoping that everything had smoothed over between herself and Severa but she couldn’t help but suspect she had only grazed the surface to what was bothering her friend. 

“I wish I could help you” Morgan sent her leader an apologetic smile, “You see I don’t remember much at all. Severa and I have been trying to make new memories” She showed Lucina a bracelet that they had bought at the market place a few days earlier. “We go shopping much to my father’s chagrin” 

“I wouldn’t take everything so personally” Cythina offered with a shrug, “Severa’s can be a meanie-butt but I don’t think she really means half of the stuff she says.” The younger girl snapped her fingers, “Kinda like a cat”

“Don’t compare my sister to a cat”

“But it makes sense! Cats are the first one to knock over glasses or scratch and bite you but at the end of the day you know they love you because they’ll curl up in your lap or sit on the book you’re trying to read yowling until you pet them”

“I suppose it…does…make sense” Lucina drew out making sense of Cynthia’s metaphor. It did sort of make sense. “I’ll just have to speak with her again”

“Ah there you are m’lady” Kjelle entered the tent, giving the trio a friendly wave before taking a seat next to her princess. “Are you speaking of Severa?” 

“Who else?” Cynthia rolled her eyes, “That seems to be all on Lucina’s mind lately”

Kjelle grinned tapping her chin as she recalled the events that transpired earlier that day, “You know the oddest thing had happened today, regarding Severa.”

“Really?” Morgan asked innocently, she always liked hearing about her family, for better or for worse to try and trigger any sort of past memories of them. “What happened?”

“I was doing my usual nightly training routine and I spotted her…watching me” Kjelle looked to Lucina and grinned, “Like a dog in heat”

“…That…” Lucina wasn’t sure how to take that news; Kjelle could simply be full of herself and misinterpreting. “Doesn’t sound like Severa in the slightest” 

“Maybe she was impressed that you could bench press a horse?” Cynthia suggested confused at why a woman would be lusting after Kjelle in such a crude fashion. 

Kjelle’s grin widened, “She said that she could do her laundry on my abs” Kjelle laughed heartily, “And I thought Owain and Inigo were a pair of buffoons, of course she denies it. Probably out of embarrassment but…”

“But Severa has a boyfriend” Morgan frowned at what Kjelle had been implying; even if she couldn’t remember much of her sisterhood she had her loyalties to defend her. “Perhaps you’re just full of yourself and reading between the lines.”

“Lucina you’re awfully quiet…you wouldn’t happen to be jealous, would you?”

The princess in question stood from her position and looked to her friend, trying to not look bothered by this news as much as possible. A princess and leader had to remain poised in any sort of situation. Even with news as absurd as this. “I have no reason to be jealous of you dear friend. I’m sure it was simply just a misunderstanding, as Morgan stated. Severa has a boyfriend”

“I know what I saw” Kjelle shrugged, “You have nothing to worry about, I wouldn’t dare act on anything” She joked, much to the other women in the room’s dismay. 

“…Lucina are you alright?” Cynthia tilted her head to the side; she knew something was wrong when her sister would get silent like this. As if she was calculating what she should be saying next. “You look upset”

All Lucina wished for at this very moment was for the attention to be anywhere but on her. “I need to take a walk, it’s a nice night and I would like some fresh air”

“Would you like me to accompany you princess?” Kjelle asked, preparing herself to get up and protect her leader. 

“No. No I think you’ve done enough today, I should be fine on my own. I appreciate the offer” Needing to escape she turned on her heel and walked away, trying her best to ignore Kjelle’s shout after her. 

“Don’t worry Severa’s on nightwatch!” Kjelle laughed, poking fun at Lucina’s current obsession with making things right with her friend entertained her. Personally she didn’t see why the blue haired woman cared so much about a brat. Perhaps that was why everyone loved the princess so much, charity cases. She looked forward to find two sets of eyes glaring at her in judgement for driving the great Lucina away. “Don’t look at me like that!”

A walk on her own with nothing but nature to keep her company had been exactly what Lucina needed to keep her thoughts together. She knew Kjelle had simply been making fun of the situation but the paladin wasn’t wrong. Jealously, if that's what it even was, is such a petty emotion, one not fit for a princess. Lucina could handle Severa dating Brady, she expected that much with how close the two of them were to one another, but to ogle Kjelle? She shouldn’t have felt that twinge of a burning pain in the pit of her stomach. Not over Severa. Lucina couldn’t afford any sort of distractions while on this mission to save the future, and yet here she was. Walking along the campsite and thinking of her best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter Brady's going to be speaking with Maribelle and more on Lucina and Owain.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man this chapter was a doozy to write, and re-write and write again. The campfire conversation ended up being a LOT longer than I thought it would be. But here we go! This is definitely a Brady chapter.

Night watch with Gerome had been going just as expected. Boring. Usually night watch wasn’t such a bad chore, partners kept each other awake with dumb stories or just interesting conversation, it made for fond memories and team building. Gerome however hadn’t said a single word since the sun had gone down. Severa at least had Laurent’s book to keep her company, however, her eyes were growing tired in the dim campfire light. It became difficult to read the text on the page. Great. Her father was cruel to put her with Gerome of all people, and she didn’t even do anything wrong. Except maybe lying.

  
Growing frustrated that she couldn’t continue on with the story she closed her book with an exasperated sigh, “Are you going to be mute all night?”

“I have no interest in idle conversation” Even at night Gerome insisted on wearing his mask to hide his eyes. Severa could only guess by his tone that he wasn’t overly fond of this situation either. The young swordswoman was sure that she at least made better company than his usual night watch partner Inigo. “Go back to reading your book”

“Can’t exactly read by moonlight” Severa raised her hand to motion to the night sky up above. Gerome must have thought that was a sufficient enough of an answer as he didn’t respond, only making Severa more irritated with him. “Well aren’t you going to ask me what I’m reading?”

“No, I don’t really care” Gerome simply looked at the campfire in front of him, hoping that the redhead would simply take the hint and stop talking to him. If it were up to him he’d be perfectly content working the night watch alone. At least he’d get some peace of mind.

“It’s going to be a long night” Risking a shift in position, Severa decided to try and lay down on top of the log to get more comfortable. At least the stars made up for some better company. Though she was absolutely sure if closed her eyes that she would fall asleep, so she decided tonight would be the night she’d get Gerome to open up. A challenge like this was bound to keep her awake. “Hey Gerome?”

“What is it now?” If it were up to the wyvern rider he’d rather Severa just go to sleep. In the case of something going wrong he could wake her up. Why did Robin have to punish him too? He didn’t do anything to deserve this.

“What’s your opinion on love?” Severa genuinely was curious to what he would have to say. As much as either of them wouldn’t like to admit it, they were a lot alike. They both had hard exteriors to protect being emotionally vulnerable. She would jump through hoops of fire if it meant never facing opening herself up to the ones she truly cared about just to be ripped apart. That fear being a prime motivator for some of her more idiotic plans.

Gerome knew he was trapped into having a conversation now, “I think love is a weakness” He wasn’t sure what kind of answer she was really looking for, “Falling in love is like going to war with your heart outside of your chest. Obviously you want to protect what’s dear to you at any cost so you become distracted. Love is dangerous. If something were to happen to the person I love, I could never forgive myself. I couldn’t be completely focused on the task I have to perform.” He was sure Severa only meant love in a romantic sense, but he could apply this to the love of his family. He didn’t want to open himself up to heart break if something were to happen to his mother again. Gerome had already gone through that hell once before. “Winning the war is more important to me than love.”

Severa wasn’t expecting that much of an answer out of him at the first question, but it was a lot to go on. If anything it explained why he was so distant to even making friends within the group. “Okay what if hypothetically we weren’t fighting this horrible war? That we lived in a time of peace and we were allowed to feel good about being happy, I mean, that’s why we’re all here right? What if we actually win?”

Gerome was silent for a moment, as if trying to come up with a good response to that loaded question. “…There is no such thing as a perfect world Severa”

“Oh just humor me!”

The young man crossed his arms, “I don’t know. In a world that doesn’t exist I wouldn’t have to be concerned about my heart being ripped out by risen. Instead I worry that my heart will be ripped out by something worse. Someone I trust. Huh. I think that is the worse fate, don’t you?”  
Severa couldn’t win with this one, and she thought she was paranoid about the pain that love brought. Gerome was at an entirely new level of self-preservation. “Love scares you”

“I don’t like putting myself in a vulnerable position, so, no. I don’t like what love can do to a person. I’d want to avoid that at all costs” Gerome folded his arms across his chest, his line of sight never leaving the flames in front of them.

"Hm…” She knew a thing or two about avoiding love at all costs. Coming up with this elaborate scheme to fake date Brady and move on was all just so she could avoid telling Lucina the truth and ultimately hurting herself. Either she would face the pain of constantly hiding her feelings or risk coming clean and potentially losing her friend. Constantly pushing it down seemed like the lesser of two evils “Don’t you get lonely?”

Gerome shrugged it off; “I have Minerva, that’s enough for me” He turned his head toward her and glanced down to the nameless book sitting upon her lap, “Is that what your novel is about? Love?”

Her brow quirked up at the question, “Ah so now you’re interested in what I’m reading?” She sighed, humoring him, “I honestly don’t know what it’s about yet. Just that it’s about a man wandering the desert. I didn’t get very far when the sun came down but Laurent recommended it to me so I trust him”

“Ah…I didn’t know you were so close to Laurent” He observed, that was an odd combination. Laurent and Severa didn’t exactly have a lot in common or a reason to talk. Not that he cared, no, but rather curious on why someone like Laurent would even bother.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me” Severa murmured, folding her arms across her chest as she looked up to the night sky. Silence fell between the two. Gerome wasn’t much of a talker and Severa didn’t want to ask any more questions in fear that he’d bring up more reasons to be insecure about pursuing anyone. It did make her wonder how their parents could find love so easily. Were they just idiots? Or was there actually a secret to all of this stuff? Maybe they just weren’t so damaged, burnt by fate. Did any of them have a real shot at love?

The young mercenary was brought out of her thoughts by a loud crash of lumber hitting the ground. In a swift movement she was off her back and onto her feet, her sword at the hand pointed in the direction of the intruder. Gerome was really losing his touch if he allowed someone to get that close to them.

“Whoa! It’s me!” Owain exclaimed, putting his hands up in surrender. “I thought you two could use the extra supplies and the company”

Severa felt like a complete idiot, but she wouldn’t dare let that show, “Fine, you may join us” She sat back down onto the log, using that time to compose herself. “Where’s your sidekick?”

“Inigo? Where else?” Owain chuckled at the antics of his friend, always had one thing on his mind. “I was trying to find Brady earlier; with you on night watch I thought we could have a gentleman’s evening” He sighed, “However he seems to be busy with Laurent now”

“…So, Laurent is lending you books and spending time with Brady?” Gerome was truly puzzled, “Have we entered another alternate dimension?”

“Brady is training with Laurent now, I think he’s his new apprentice or something” Severa explained, “I didn’t get a lot of the details, but he’s very excited about it” She noticed Owain’s expression somber, “What? You look like a kicked puppy”

“I was teaching him how to fight. Why would he be going to Laurent? I really thought we were going to make a breakthrough when I gave him an axe. I had made a list of weapon names for him when he graduated my course”

Gerome scoffed, “You would have been training him for a long time. He’s not good, at all.”

“I would have made him good! That was the point of the lessons” Owain turned his attention to Severa, “Is this…retaliation? I know he felt left out when I became closer with Inigo.”

“You’re asking me if Brady has taken an apprenticeship with Laurent to get back at you? Really? You’re really asking me that?” This sounded like typical schoolgirl drama. “Of course not, he wanted to better his skills. Skills that he actually has potential in” Then it dawned on her, “Are you jealous?”

“Quite frankly, yes” Owain had been hoping to get some alone time with Severa, it was the reason he came to the night watch to begin with. Sure, Gerome was there, but he was more of a quiet bystander. Besides he didn’t really care about the personal relationships of the group. This was Owain’s chance to really get a couple of things off his chest. “I am so happy for you. I am so happy that he has found a woman and love. But that means he puts you above me, which I understand. When I take a wife she must come first, of course. It means I get a smaller box of time to spend with him…and now he has a master?”

“Whoa whoa whoa stop the speech making” Severa held the bridge of her nose, she didn’t want to hear anymore hemorrhaging of his feelings, “First, please don’t refer to Laurent as his master, that’s weird, I know that’s how apprenticeship works but no. Secondly, he’s still your best friend. Just because you don’t spend all of your time together doesn’t mean that the feelings are there. He’s going through a tough patch and he needs to work stuff out.” She deeply sighed, knowing that she would have to put a bit of their arrangement at risk, “Third we’re not that serious. Don’t be throwing the L and W words around”

“….But…you….he….Yarne had told me…” Owain’s brows furrowed, “What do you mean you don’t love Brady?”

“I’m going to ring Yarne’s neck I swear” Ugh she really needed to stomp on him for the rumor he spread around camp. “I do love Brady” Just not in a romantic way, of course she couldn’t quite phrase it like that, “…I just don’t know if I’m in love with him”

“I don’t understand, isn’t that the same thing?” Owain was ready to defend his best friend. He did not want him to get hurt because Severa was too emotionally stunted. “Brady is one of the best men I know. Once I saw him cry tears of sympathy for a snake. You won’t find a gentler soul” He was going to leave out the little detail of the reason he was crying for the snake, ‘because it doesn’t have legs’ takes away manly credit.

“You don’t have to tell me that” Great, now Owain was on the offensive, “I know. I don’t deserve someone like Brady” And she sure as hell didn’t deserve someone as amazing as Lucina, she didn’t need to be reminded of that, “He’s my rock, I just…love is a heavy word”

“Is this why you were asking about love earlier?” Gerome decided now was the best time to try to intervene. He could sense that Owain was getting upset and he really didn’t want to turn into a mediator. Severa was known to hit royals if she was pushed far enough. He hated to admit but at this moment he really wished he was paired off with Inigo instead.

“You….went to Gerome for love advice?” Owain put a hand on his chest to try and quell his laughter, “No offense buddy”

“None taken”

“Okay hot shot” Severa glared over at the prince, “What are your opinions on love? Since you seem to be the expert”

That stopped his laughter in one quick moment. Owain leaned back on his hands, looking up to the night sky, “I think love is wonderful. Oh I love the tales of knights fighting valiantly to save his beloved. What better reason to fight? Call me a romantic but I believe there’s nothing greater” His perspective had been the complete opposite of Gerome’s.

“You know, they only publish the scrolls telling tales of the survivors” Gerome folded his arms across his chest, “Many have perished in the name of ‘love’. Being the white knight isn’t as glamorous as you think it is”

“Love is the fuel on which we use to win the war” Owain smiled, not letting Gerome’s negative attitude deter him, “That’s why we all came here. I may not be the white knight in my own romance but I certainly will be the defender of my parents love…I hope one day to have a bond that strong”

“Sounds like a fairy tale” Severa caught Gerome mutter under his breath, he wasn’t convinced at Owain’s conviction. If only he could have such passion about his best friend, maybe this would be the opportunity to poke and see where he even would stand on the issue. If anything to at least prepare Brady for what was to come.

Before she could even open up and speak they were joined by another person. There she was, the princess standing before them. Why was she even awake at this hour? “I hope you don’t mind if I join your watch” Severa noted how annoyingly perfect she looked in the moonlight. Great, now she found herself staring as Lucina started to walk in her direction. Even worse the princess decided to sit down next to her. Fantastic, this was going to be a long night.

“Are you still having troubles sleeping?” Owain asked, deeply concerned for his cousin and the reason she joined them. She had confided in him that it was tough to sleep when riddled with nightmares of failing…and worse, death.

Gerome and Severa both turned their attention to the azure-haired woman, unaware that she was having such troubles. “Yes, I thought a walk would clear my head. I’d rather have the company of my friends.” She smiled softly; Severa knew that was her way of brushing it off. She’d have to get to the bottom of that one later…maybe even send Cynthia and Morgan to deal with it. They would probably be better at comforting her. That and it was less of a personal risk for Severa.  
Gerome taking a hint, didn’t want to push Lucina about the issue, “Owain was just telling us his views on love”

“Ha yes” Owain dusted his hands off, suddenly feeling embarrassed of the subject matter. He would rather be caught speaking of metals for blades or the best way to strike against those who use magic. “I am very for it, and my friend Gerome here is just the opposite…I suppose that shouldn’t shock you”  
Lucina’s attention shifted toward the shorter girl seated next to her, “And what of you Severa? What are your opinions of the subject?”  
Owain, still bitter on the subject of Severa and Brady, answered for her, “She says that there’s a difference between loving a person and being in love with a person”

“Shut it, she didn’t ask you” Severa glared daggers at the young man set on making her night miserable, “And there is a difference!” She hated this; she could feel three sets of eyes waiting to hear what she would say next, “Maybe I’m saying it wrong because you have such a thick skull”

“…Is everything alright between you and Brady?” Lucina asked having missed the earlier part of the night watch’s conversation. “Did he pressure you into something you weren’t ready for?”

“We haven’t done…that, ew, no” Severa really had to start thinking of a great way to get back at Yarne for opening his big mouth and spreading some of rumors. She did appreciate how concerned Lucina seemed about the ordeal. “Are you in love with Kjelle?” Right now she wanted to try everything to get the attention off of herself, “I know you’re pursuing her”

“No…no that’s ridiculous” Owain knew that the woman in question was close to Lucina so he would have to tread carefully. “I’m not in love with her, I’d probably have to beat her in combat for her to even give me a second glance” Kjelle only associated herself with the strongest after all, “I feel like I have to at least try to find my princess. She seemed to be my best option, strong, beautiful…and I’ll admit she may have nicer abs then I do. It’s like” He struggled to find the words to describe them, “You could do laundry on them”

That brought a grin to the young red heads face; at least she didn’t feel as idiotic, “I would lead with that”

Luncia remained stoic at the interaction, making quiet observations to herself on how curious Severa had been acting. She wasn’t sure what to think of Kjelle’s boastings earlier that day but listening to Owain speak with Severa about these apparently famous washboard abs quirked her interest; especially paired with Severa’s apparent doubts on her feelings of love for Brady. Was she really flirting with the paladin? Now it didn’t seem so farfetched.

“If you don’t have feelings for her, then why bother?” Gerome asked, truly doubting Owain’s ability to beat Kjelle in a fight. “What about true love?”

The prince looked to his cousin, “Well, love isn’t always at first sight you have to work at it” He rubbed the back of his neck, “Besides where else would I be able to find love?”

Severa tilted her head, “Have you ever considered a male companion?” It hopefully seemed like an innocent enough of a question, but she really needed to know. At least Brady would be elated to know that he didn’t actually have feelings for Kjelle, he was just mesmerized by her abs. It was understandable. Kjelle did have a fine set of abs going for her.

Owain’s eyes went comically wide at the question; he certainly wasn’t expecting Severa to ask that. “I uh” He adjusted the collar to his shirt, “I hadn’t really considered that an option”

Oh she had him on the ropes now, perfect, “You don’t sound opposed” Or disgusted at the idea, that at least would be a good sign. “Do you think it’s possible?”

The young prince looked absolutely stumped by the question, unsure how to answer it, “I…don’t know…” he noticed Gerome’s brow quirk up, Owain was quick to nip any assumptions in the bud, “N-no! of course not. I’m a prince Severa” Severa wasn’t convinced by his answer so she was willing to let him go, for now. Gerome and Lucina’s presence made him a bit squirmish.

Lucina sensing that the conversation was getting a little too tense for her liking put her two cents in, “I think love is a wonderful thing. I can feel the warmth of love right now” She smiled, “Family, friends…pets” She didn’t want to exclude Gerome’s attachment to Minerva. “Not all love is romantic after all”

What a complete dork. God, this is one of the annoying things that makes Severa like her so damn much, “I think that’s the warmth of the fire, princess”

*************************************************************************************************************************************************  
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Laurent asked, he and his new apprentice Brady stood in front of Maribelle’s tent. The night before Brady confided in him that he was ready to at least tell his mother about the struggles he was facing. Severa might have been okay with lying about their relationship for a long time but it was starting to get to Brady’s conscious.

Besides, if Laurent can be out and happy there was no reason Brady couldn’t be. Really, even if he couldn’t be with Owain he would at least be able to be honest with himself. “Yeah I think so. I just…I gotta do this ya know?”

“I do” Laurent squeezed the other man’s shoulder, “Do you want me to go in there with you?”

He shook his head no, “This is somethin’ I gotta do alone. But thanks, for everything you’ve been doin’ for me. Severa’s been great but…you’re already there” Brady smiled, “No matter how this goes…I’m gonna want a drink. Care to join me?”

Laurent knew that this was going to be a tough conversation for him, “Meet me at my tent when the sun goes down. I have something to show you.” It would also give the healer some time to himself, time he may need if the conversation with his mother didn’t go well. “Good luck”

Brady thanked his new friend before turning to head inside his mother’s tent. Of course his mother was already sitting at the table with tea time set up. It amazed Brady that even with all of the traveling they did, her tent would look immaculate. “You’re late” She motioned for him to take a seat, “You shouldn’t keep your mother waiting”

“I’m sorry Ma” Brady apologized quickly doing as she said, “I was just sayin’ goodbye to Laurent. We had a late night training yesterday” Maribelle wasn’t too thrilled with Brady learning darker magics. She made her boy promise her that he wouldn’t get into anything too serious, a definite no on curses and hex’s. If anything, though, she felt much more comfortable with him using a tome than an axe. She loved her boy but he certainly didn’t get his father’s combat skills.

“How is everything going on with Laurent?” Maribelle’s expression brightened at the other man’s name, “Oh, did you invite him for tea?”

“…Nah he uh, had to politely decline” Whenever he spoke with his mother, especially at tea time, he tried his best not to slip into common speech patterns. He wanted to prove to her that he could at least try and be a gentleman, “But he ah thanked me for the invitation”

“You know, Laurent is a very nice young man” Maribelle poured some hot water into her son’s cup, “I think it’s wonderful that you’re spending so much time with him. So polite and well mannered, he’d make a fine husband. I really wish he would be joining us today”

His mother’s assumption brought Brady into a coughing fit, “Husband? What!? Ma!” He pounded his chest to try and help himself breathe again. He wasn’t sure what was worse, his mom thinking that he was dating Laurent or choking on hot tea.

“Oh Brady bear, are you alright?” Maribelle got up from her chair and was quickly at his side, rubbing circles along his back to try and comfort him. She offered him a glass of water with her free hand, “I’m your mother, not a fool”

“…What?” Brady blinked in surprise; there was no way she could know. He and Severa were doing so well in public to be seen as a couple. But she didn’t seem upset? Now he was just confused. “I uh, I’m not with Laurent if that’s what you’re tryin’ to get at”

“Hmm” The blonde sat herself in the seat next to him, taking her sons hand in her own, “Are you sure you don’t want to date Laurent?”

“I don’t like him like that…he’s just a friend who happens to be like me and no! No that’s now how this conversation was suppose ta go” Brady rubbed his forehead, with his free hand, trying to make sense of this. “Ma I wanted to tell you that” He exhaled, “I’m gay”

“Sweetie, I know” Maribelle squeezed his hand to comfort him; she knew how difficult this must have been for him. “Call it mother’s intuition” She smiled kindly, “Why do you think I was so flippant about your ‘relationship’ with Severa?”

“Because you don’t like her?” Brady always assumed that was his mother’s problem with his best friend, “…How are you so…calm about this? You’re…you’re a freaking noble!”

“And what? That makes me unable to understand human emotions?” Maribelle paused, “Mm I may have been brought up properly but I am certainly not a bigot” She stroked his hand with her thumb, “But you are in love? Don’t lie to me. If it’s not with Laurent, than whom is it?”

“…You promise you won’t tell no-one?”

“Anyone” She corrected, a habit at this point. “Of course I promise, Brady you can tell me anything. Let me listen, and let me help you. Honey, I’m your mother, no matter what you say I’ll understand”

Well, here it goes, “…It’s Owain” Brady couldn’t look at his mother in the eyes, that was, until she started to laugh. “What? This ain’t funny”

“Oh Brady bear” She let go of his hand to pour him a new cup of hot water, “I understand what you’re going through”  
Her son however wasn’t convinced, “Really?”

“Mmhmm” She got up from her seat to cross the room and grab the desserts for the table, she was going to need them, “Oh honestly, do you really think Fredrick was Lissa’s first kiss?” Maribelle set a plate of cookies down before her son. He was probably going to need something after hearing the truth about his own mother. “First a lot of things actually”

“Y-you…but…but…dad” Brady didn’t know how to handle this, he would never expect this from his mother. Not in a million years…and Lissa? What? “Huh?”

“Oh, I love your father. Very much Brady, I’m not sure what you’re thinking right now but I can assure you I love every bit of your father” She paused, “Except for his stubbornness when it comes to battling and the times he refuses to let me heal him. But that’s another issue entirely”

“…So…what happened?”

“Young love, I have always held Lissa dear to my heart” She began to explain, taking her rightful place at the table, “But it was never going to last. She’s a princess, and I’m a noblewoman. We were never going to be happy living a life behind closed doors. No, we had expectations to live up to, duties to uphold. As you know she married her first crush Fredrick. I was beside myself for weeks. No one knew, of course. I then found love in a handsome swordsman who spoke very few words. I’m sure very soon we’ll have a baby Brady bear to call our own. Maybe if times were different you and Owain would be brothers”

Brady grimaced at that detail, “Jeez Ma! Why would you say that? I don’t wanna think about him like that. Heck! I don’t wanna think about you and his ma goin’ at it”

“I’m no animal. We wouldn’t “go at it” like a jungle cat in heat. I never!” Maribelle checked her nails, she used to be much better at filing them in a timely manner, “I am a very gentle lover I’ll have you know”

“Ma!” Horrified Brady put his hands over his ears, his mother was supposed to be making this better for him, not making it perpetually worse. “Can ya stop? I’m gonna need a curse to fix my brain from thinkin’ of ugh”

“Would it be better if I spoke of your father?” Maribelle couldn’t tease him any longer; it didn’t make for proper tea conversation. “Oh put your hands down. I won’t go into any more details”

Brady did what his mother asked of him, “So what you’re sayin’ is I’m screwed. You couldn’t be with Lissa for the same damn reason! Politics”

“It’s true. I don’t know if our love would have lasted the test of time, but I suppose we will never know” The blonde sipped her tea, the warm liquid soothing to her throat, “Brady you were all sent back here for a reason”

“Uh ya to save the world from gettin’ messed up and savin our parents before ya die horribly” He didn’t understand where his mother was going, hell, he was still in shock that he and Owain’s mother had a brief history.

“You came back in time to change the future for the better. Yes, to save our lives as well, but what if that wasn’t the only reason you were brought back? You children are the future of the world. A society can’t change if tradition holds it back. The world is already changing. Don’t you see? Yarne and Nah are perfect examples of how love doesn’t come in a sweet little box; they’re products of the unconventional. Tell him how you feel sweetie; you’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t. Now I can’t promise he’ll return your feelings. That’s complicated but you won’t be living with a question mark in the back of your head”

“Easier said than done…” Brady folded his arms across his chest, hugging his body, “Everything’s gonna change. What if he wants nothin’ to do with me? I shouldn’t go riskin’ our friendship, there’s so much history there”

“Honey I know it’s scary” Maribelle offered her son the plate of desserts, “Take a cookie and listen to me. Putting yourself out there is terrifying, especially when it comes to your heart. But trust me; one awkward conversation will save yourself a lifetime of asking yourself what if. The what if’s will always haunt you…and things may not have worked out for me and Lissa, but, I’ll never regret trying. It lead me on my rightful path” She smiled, “It lead me to your father, and you. Besides, if things don’t work out with Owain….Laurent is very handsome”

When his mother winked at him, Brady couldn’t help but groan, “Ma! Stooop” He didn’t really mean that. Brady was thrilled that his mother could be so understanding…all of this worrying was for nothing. Even in this moment here, a mom nagging her son about finding a good match, it felt so normal. Of course if he were going to rightfully pursue Owain or any man…there was one last thing he needed to do. Break up with his fake girlfriend. It was time for the lying to stop once and for all.

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

“You know your dragonstone is very pretty, it brings out your eyes” Severa complimented Nah, trying her best to actually flirt now that Kjelle was definitely not an option. With Noire practically taken, Nah was really Severa’s best option to try and make something happen.

“Um…thanks Severa” Nah wasn’t sure how to take that compliment from the normally bitter girl. It almost felt like a trap, or that she would only be complimenting her only to ask a favor from her later. Severa never made much sense to the dragon girl. “That’s very kind of you”

“Hey!” Brady caught up to the two women, sending an apologetic smile when he noticed the glare his faux beau sent him, “Am I interrupting somethin’?”

“Tch no I was just admiring Nah’s dragonstone. Can’t a girl just do that in peace?” Severa grumbled, not at all happy that Brady was around; he already made fun of her for not being able to flirt with Kjelle. She didn’t want him to witness her utterly failing at it again. “Maybe I want one”

“That’s…not how dragonstone’s work Severa…” So much for Severa being nice, of course the spoiled girl wanted a pretty stone for herself. “Did you need something Brady?”

“Ha, actually yes, I need to borrow my girl. We need to talk” Brady motioned toward the nearby walking path, “Alone, if you don’t mind”

“Please” Nah returned to her chores, happy that she could get some peace of mind, “Go right ahead”

“We’re not done talking” Severa told the other girl before taking Brady by the hand and dragging him along the walking path. “This better be good, you know, I think I was actually getting somewhere with her”

“…Naw you’re really terrible at flirting…” Brady laughed, “We’ll work on that I promise, but ah. I don’t know how to tell you this.” His expression changed, he felt bad for what he was going to have to say but he needed out, “Look. I appreciate all you’ve done for me…but…”

Sensing that this conversation was quickly going south, Severa grabbed the blonde by his arm to force him to stop walking. They ended up dead in the middle of camp, other members of their group scattered around doing their morning chores while the adults planned their next course of action. “What’s wrong?”

“….You said that this relationship wouldn’t be forever and…I told my Ma” Seeing the instant look of panic on his best friends face he quickly acted, “Don’t worry she doesn’t know anythin’ about you. I just. I hate this…lyin’ and pretendin’ to be somethin’ I’m not. It doesn’t feel right. And you know what? She was fine…no disappointment no disownment. She loves me for who I am and that feels great”

“If this is a pep talk to try and get me to talk to my mother about…you’re crazy” Severa shook her head, she couldn’t believe that a conversation with the great Cordelia would go so smoothly. It was hard enough for her to grasp that Maribelle of all people would be fine with Brady’s attraction to other men.

“I’m not going to make you do something you’re not ready for…but…we can’t be a couple anymore. I’ll always be your best friend. I will be there for ya in a heartbeat…But we can’t start trying to be ourselves and be in a “relationship”. I’ll keep your secret for as long as I live but…I’m out, I want out”

“…Okay…” Severa didn’t want to fight; she knew this would be the inevitable. Besides, she would absolutely hate herself if she was the one to hold Brady back from his happiness. After all she wanted the best for him, “But we’re going to make this look real”

“…Wait what?” Brady didn’t get a chance to fathom what that would entail before he felt the palm of Severa’s hand slap him across the face with a loud thwap. “Ow jeez!” He held onto his cheek in pain. He already felt sorry for any girl in the future to cross Severa.

“It’s OVER between us!” Severa took a step away from him, wiping her eyes before any fake tears could fall. She had mastered fake crying years ago; it was an extremely useful tool to get her father to buy her nice things at the marketplace. “I can’t believe you! I thought what we had was special but…what? I’m not good enough for you?”

“Uh…” This was not how he wanted to fake break up with a girl, especially now that he could feel the eyes of his comrades on him. Oh he didn’t want to know what could possibly be running through their minds. “I’m sorry…I wanted this to work out but you’re! You’re….” He didn’t actually want to insult Severa. She gave him an expecting look; he needed to say something, anything. “A self-centered control freak! You don’t give a damn about anyone but yourself!”

Severa knew that he wasn’t completely being serious, sure she was a pain in his side but they both knew it was out of friendship. “Please! I don’t know what I was thinking when I said yes. Take a good look Brady; you’re going to regret the day you broke up with me!” Feeling confident that their performance was good enough, she turned on her heel and started to storm away. She was proud of her idiot boy for starting a journey she was far too afraid to take. Brady on the other hand could only hold the side of his face and watch his best friend grab her satchel and head toward the woods, her favorite place to be alone. It was official. Their fake relationship was over and now there was nothing stopping him from telling Owain the truth.

*************************************************************************************************************************************************  
Brady decided that it would be best to wait a few hours before going to see his childhood friend. News of his breakup with Severa had spread across camp like wildfire. He overheard different theories to why they broke up, most were pretty comical, as rumors often were so far from the truth. Mostly he just hoped that Severa’s parents wouldn’t hear of such gossip until after he set things clear with Owain. The last thing he wanted was an angry Robin on his case…or worse, an angry Cordelia.

With the sun setting and night approaching he thought that it would be the best time to try and find his friend, only to be surprised that Owain came to his tent first. “I heard the news and came as quickly as I could” Owain had been in town buying supplies with Cynthia when the fake couple had broken up, “How are you feeling?”

“Severa’s got a mean slap” He brought his finger’s up to his face as a reminder, his cheek still felt a bit tender but he hoped it didn’t leave a mark. “But I’ll be okay. I’m the one who broke up with her”

“…Oh?” Owain took a seat at Brady’s table, “Did you want to talk about it?”

“I uh, well, there’s a lot I wanna talk about…especially with you” Brady rubbed the back of his neck, already feeling the nerves bundle up in his stomach. He was going to do this tonight if it killed him, and it just might. “Severa and I were never gonna work out…now don’t get me wrong I love her…but I’m not…in love with her ya know?”

Owain seemed to be confused at Brady’s statement, the monk unaware that the swordsman had heard a similar sentiment not long ago, “No I don’t understand…how can two people be so close and not be in love? I’ve seen you two kiss, hold hands…you’ve spent every day attached to her hip! Which, really put a damper on gentleman’s evening” Owain scratched his head in confusion, “Please enlighten me”

“Well uh” Brady folded his hands together to keep them occupied, he really wish he had been more prepared. He should have brewed some tea, or baked some cookies. That was what his mother would do. No, no he couldn’t be thinking of Maribelle at a time like this. “I love her, just, not in a romantical sense” He sighed, “I’m in love with someone else, an’ I have been for a long time. Trying to deny it wasn’t far to her so…I did the right thing”

“In love with someone else?” This was news to Owain, the young man tried to puzzle who in the world Brady could have fallen so hard for. Obviously it couldn’t have been Severa. Who could it have possibly been? Lucina? Cynthia? …Morgan? “…Brady who is it? You know there was a time you could tell me anything that was on your mind.”

Well, nothing else to lose now, “…It’s you” Brady took the chance and glanced across the table to gauge Owain’s reaction. The other man looked absolutely stunned by this confession; Brady had never witnessed his friend blink so many times in a minute. A minute that felt like an eternity filled with silence.

Owain started to laugh, as if in denial, “Oh you had me there, that’s a jest, yes? That would be building up the tension just to set me up for a laugh. I didn’t take you to be quite the actor, but color me impressed”

He….thought he was kidding. Brady frowned, glaring to his friend, “Ey! That wasn’t a joke” The young monk was feeling defensive, he just confessed his deepest secret and his best friend the object of his affection just simply laughed it off as if it was a prank. “Owain, you gotta let me get this off my chest. I’m not gonna ever be in love with Severa or any of the girls around here…I’m not…I’m not attracted to them”

“Wait…” Owain silenced his friend by putting his hand in the air, “You are serious” He instantly felt horrible for laughing, he knew his friend could be overly sensitive. “Oh Brady I’m so sorry for laughing…I just…you’ve certainly blindsided me” He swallowed a quickly forming lump in his throat, “These feelings…how long?”

“….Awhile…” Brady sighed deeply, “Look I’m not expecting anythin’ I just…you needed to know the truth. So I’m gonna say it once. You can pretend that this conversation didn’t happen or whatever you need to do but I gotta say this. I love you. You mean the freaking world to me. And that terrifies me, because I don’t wanna lose what we’ve got…..I understand that you’ll probably never feel the same way. And even if you did, you’re a freaking Prince…”

“Brady please…stop…stop rambling” Owain had stood from the table, he started pacing back and forth in the tent, folding and unfolding his arms as he tried to figure out what Brady was even telling him. A prince should be able to know what to say in any situation. He spent so much time with Cynthia on grand speeches and theatrical entrances. But nothing, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say to his best friend.

Another excruciating minute had passed before Owain could find the ability to speak again, only to say, “…I don’t know what to say…”

Brady knew how to take a hint; he overwhelmed the poor man with an emotional confession. The blonde monk stood from his seat and approached Owain, “You don’t gotta say a thing. I get it” He squeezed the young man’s shoulders as he passed him, “I won’t bother you anymore”

“No! No…wait!” Owain grabbed his friend’s arm, stopping him from walking past, “I won’t allow you to leave this tent thinking that this somehow changes our friendship. I will always care about you my friend”

“This is my damn tent Owain and I can leave it if I wanna” Not that he had the strength to actually kick the other man out, “You don’t gotta patronize me. Our friendship isn’t gonna be the same ever again now. But that’s okay…….I’m making my peace” Brady didn’t know what he should have expected when he told Owain the truth, he only planned to simply tell him and that he would deal with it. “…And now I’m giving you space…so please…get outta my way” The monk jerked his arm free from Owain’s grasp, he couldn’t handle it anymore, he needed to get out of this tent.

“Brady! Wait! You cannot tell me this and simply walk away!” Owain called after his friend as the other man left him to stand there like a fool. “What just happened?” Thoughts were racing a mile a minute, Brady loved him? Brady was attracted to men? What did this mean? Should he have let his friend leave the tent? …He should have forced him to stay and talk it out. Owain shook his head, sitting back down at Brady’s tea time table, no forcing a conversation would be bad. “…What am I to do now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maribelle and Laurent have their work cut out for them. Next chapter Owain gets to confront Brady. Severa actually gets a chance to read the book Laurent had given her.
> 
> Trouble is coming


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so I was extremely appalled to see that the last time I updated this it was October. This chapter went a bit in a different direction than I think I originally had planned. This one's going to be very Lucina and Owain focused as opposed to the usual Brady and Severa.
> 
> I also am not a tea drinker, so I'm basing everything on what google told me. So sorry if anything of that nature is wrong

Cynthia could tell that something was on her sister’s mind. So when Maribelle requested some extra supplies in town the young princess was quick to volunteer their services. It would give them a real chance to be together without anyone else interfering. Everyone seemed to want a piece of Lucina for one reason or another, maybe this would give her the break that she needed. 

“Do you know what half of the things on this list even do?” Cynthia asked; it was tough for her to even read Maribelle’s handwriting. Picking up weapons supplies was more up her alley. Pick up an axe? Got it, easy peasy. Pick up herbs, not so much. 

Lucina gently relinquished the list from her younger sister’s grasp so she could take a look at it with her own eyes. “Most of these items on the list are ingredients used to treat poisons” With risen and enemies alike, poison had been a common pain in the backside for the healers. “Archers and swordsmen will try to gain an edge by dipping their blade in poison. It’s a fairly common practice”

Cynthia’s nose scrunched at the thought, she disliked dealing with archers as it was. “Right, well, my strategy of don’t get hit still stands” She laughed, earning a hint of a smile from her older sister. “C’mon let’s get this over with so we can have some real fun”

Lucina followed her sister into the town’s apothecary, “Don’t touch anything. Let me handle this” She warned, taking the list to the counter and speaking with the one in charge. “I need everything on this list” 

Cynthia grumbled to herself, folded her arms, she broke something at a store once. Just one time and Lucina would never let her live it down. 

“Also” The elder princess was highly aware of her sister’s close presence, “I would also like some anthemis nobilis. It’s not on the list” Lucina didn’t even need to look at Cynthia, she felt like the question was coming. “It’s also known as chamomile, it’s to put in tea”

“It’s to help one sleep” The apothecary so kindly explained from behind the counter, his back turned, as he had been gathering the contents of Maribelle’s wish list. “Though if you’re really having a hard time, I’d suggest you try Hops.”

Lucina considered this for a moment, she wasn’t sure when they would get another opportunity to fetch supplies, “Sure I’ll try it” She would be willing to try anything to quell her mind at night. “Thank you sir”

“…You’re having troubles sleeping?” Cynthia knew that Lucina had been restless in the past, the two often shared a tent, but once Cynthia put her head down to sleep she was out like a light. “Since when?”

“Not now” Lucina pleaded her eyes averted from Cynthia to the apothecary before them and back. She did not want to discuss her personal problem around a stranger. “Later, I promise” Cynthia at least now had a starting point of what could be on her sister’s mind. The idiot puts the entire weight of the world on her shoulders. She would just have to be reminded that she wasn’t in this alone. Once Lucina had paid for all of the herbs and medical supplies the two sisters left the humble business. Cynthia could tell that Lucina already wanted to head back to camp, but oh no, not today. 

“Let’s get something to eat before we have to journey back. C’mon it’ll be my treat” Lucina’s eyebrow raised at her sister’s offer, “Okay, so it’ll be father’s treat, but I’m sure he’ll be fine with it. Come on, please? Humor me. We don’t get to spend much time together, just us” She didn’t want to have to pull out the puppy dog eye’s on her sister, that trick always worked on their father in the future. It helped being the baby of the family. 

Lucina shook her head at her sister’s antics but couldn’t help but smile, perhaps a good meal was what she needed, “Alright fine, but we can’t stay too long. You know how Maribelle can get”

“Sure, sure” Excited, Cynthia grabbed her sister’s arm and dragged her inside the local tavern. The two were able to find a table quickly enough. “So…” She wanted to cut to the chase before Lucina could even hope that she would forget about it in all this excitement. “You’re having troubles sleeping?”

Of course Lucina shouldn’t have been surprised by the question. “Yes, I have a lot on my mind” Maybe talking about this with someone who wasn’t Gerome or Owain would do her some good. “I thought being around everyone again would help. But it only reminds me of what we’ve come here to stop. How much I could lose, who I could lose. There is so much at stake, and there’s a part of me that worries what will happen if I fail”

“You know that’s ridiculous” Cynthia reached over the table to squeeze her sister’s hand, “We’re all here trying to do the same thing. Sure you’re the best leader ever, but, a leader isn’t a leader if there’s no one to follow them. We all believe in you, but that doesn’t mean you’re alone. That’s why the heroes always win in the end.”

“Thank you for your kind words” Maybe one day when Cynthia would be older, she too would make a great leader. She and Morgan could start a new generation of Pegasus Knights if she really set her mind to the cause. “Some nights are better than others, but the worst nights, I’ll close my eyes and be reminded of grim nightmares” Lucina breathed out a sigh, “I’m hoping these herbs will help”

Cynthia hummed in agreement, freeing her sister’s hand when their drinks arrived, “You know you can tell me these things. I’m your sister, I won’t tell anyone. Cross my heart”  
She assured the other woman by using her finger to trace an imaginary x over her heart. “I love you, but you do that annoying thing of not telling people when you’re hurting. So…next time you have one of these awful nightmares, just find me. Okay? ” 

“Alright, that’s a deal” Lucina tried to lighten the mood, “Though…perhaps it’s the sounds of your snoring that keeps me awake at night” The princess laughed as her sister sputtered her drink in the most unladylike fashion. 

“I do not snore!” Horrified Cynthia covered her mouth, before breaking out in a contagious laughter. This was the first time in a long time she heard her sister laugh so freely. “Do I?” She paused, “No! No don’t answer that. I don’t want to know”

Lucina needed this lunch with her sister more than she realized. With the group getting closer and closer to their goal, any battle could be their last. At times like this she’s reminded that moments like these were precious. Sharing genuine laughter with her sister would be a memory to last forever. 

The noise from their table had garnered attention from the surrounding patrons, including that of Nah and Inigo. When the pair noticed their princesses they chose to abandon their table to try and join theirs. “Lovely ladies, do you mind if we join you?”

“Sure!” Cynthia and Lucina both scooted over so Inigo and Nah could sit with them. “Hang on, why are you two in town?” She just assumed that she and Lucina were the only ones that needed to come in for supplies. “Are you ditching your duties?”

“On the contrary” Inigo’s smile went wide, “We are here speaking with the townsfolk and seeing if there are any reports of enemy activity”

Lucina wasn’t convinced, she knew her old friend well, “Is that so?”

“No” Nah, shrugged, earning a glare from the boy, “With everything going on at camp, we were the first to finish our chores. Inigo wanted to escort the daughter of a merchant trader back into town. I decided it was best to go with him so he wouldn’t be in town alone when it didn’t work out”

“Perhaps it didn’t work out, because you were escorting us?” Inigo retorted. However it was Nah’s statement that piqued Lucina’s interest. What did she mean by what was going on at camp? 

“I think it didn’t work out for you because that woman clearly had a wedding band on” Nah stated calmly, taking a sip of her drink. 

“I….did not see that…” Inigo’s voice was small, sighing in defeat. He really needed to get better at noticing other details on a woman’s body; such as jewelry. 

“What is going on at camp?” Lucina questioned the dragon-girl seated across from her, “Is everyone alright? Was there an attack?”

“No no nothing like that” Inigo defensively brought his hands up, mostly to stop Lucina’s line of questioning to make her believe that anyone was physically harmed. “Severa and Brady broke up, it got pretty ugly”

“What!?” Cynthia’s eyes went wide at the news; she couldn’t possibly believe two people as close as they were would just suddenly end their relationship. “Why? I thought they were so happy…and weirdly adorable. That’s strange right? Because when I think of Brady and Severa…adorable is not the first word that comes to mind”

“Brady broke up with her, I honestly don’t blame him, he should have done it earlier if you ask me” Nah put in her two cents. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Severa, the two were friends, but at the same time the ginger girl had an attitude problem. “She slapped him so hard that I think the entire camp heard”

Lucina let that information sink in for a moment, she felt an odd sense of relief at the news. A strange reaction to someone’s misfortune. Lucina didn’t like the idea of Severa dating Brady from the start, and it wasn’t anything against her friend but…Lucina had always imagined that she would be with someone different. “…Is Severa alright?” 

“It’s always hard to say” Inigo chose his words carefully, he personally never had many good experiences with Severa, but he knew that she was very close to his princess. “She just took off for the woods. I don’t think she wants to see anyone” 

“Hmm” Typical, somethings never appear to change. When Severa gets overwhelmed by any sort of emotion she takes off; dealing with it on her own instead of coming to any of her friends for help. “I’d imagine she’s very upset”

“Well yeah” Cynthia seemed to be the most disappointed by this news. “I pegged them to go far, maybe even being the first of our group to get married” With the grim reality of facing war, Cynthia would often look forward to any event to cause for celebration. It was a selfish wish, sure, but everyone was together and opportunities to enjoy each other’s company was far and few between. 

Inigo frowned at the idea of Brady wedding a woman before he did, it didn’t sit right with him. “I don’t think it would have been them Cynthia. If anyone were to get married it would be Yarne and Noire” He paused to think, “If Yarne could find the courage to ask Tharja for her hand”

“Somehow I believe that even the bravest of men wouldn’t muster up the courage to approach her” Nah wanted to give Yarne some credit in this situation, as he wasn’t here to defend himself. He wouldn’t even be able to confirm or deny the talks of them possibly being that close.

“What do you think Lucina?” Cynthia had noticed her sister had gone strangely quiet at the topic of conversation. “Do you think we’ll ever see a wedding?”  
Lucina’s thoughts had been sidetracked right around the topic of weddings had come up. She had been thinking back to the night of the campfire conversation and how Severa opened up to the group about how she didn’t actually love Brady. It struck her as odd that night and even moreso now. If she were honest with herself the idea of Severa getting married was horrifying. 

The azure haired princess snapped her focus back to the topic at hand. Weddings, a conversation she would like to avoid. “Perhaps someday”  
**************************************************************************************************************************************************

When the four companions returned home from their afternoon out, Lucina had tasked Cynthia with giving Maribelle the medical herbs. Inigo and Nah were needed to help prepare the evenings dinner, so they had to quickly say their goodbyes and catch up on their duties. Lucina needed to find Severa. She had to make sure that her friend was alright. 

A determined Lucina blazed through the camp, she couldn’t be distracted or pulled aside by anyone at this moment. Right now she had to make it to the far woods and find where her friend would be hiding. Knowing Severa she would have found a large rock to set up camp, somewhere by a stream of water, a thinking rock.  
Lucina had fond memories of happier days where the two would sneak off into the woods to spend such a time on their thinking rock. Severa would always complain about her mother’s perfection, or how their sisters always wanted to tag along to whatever they were doing. It was a special time where they could be alone, away from expectations and politics. That had to have been where Severa had gone it was a gut feeling. 

She had been so focused on getting to the woods that she almost didn’t notice Brady shoot out of Owain’s tent. If she hadn’t moved so quickly out of his way she would’ve been on the ground. What was happening? Severa had to wait. She had to make sure that her cousin was alright. 

Lucina entered her cousin’s tent cautiously; she didn’t want to startle him, especially if he was not expecting company. “Owain? Is everything alright?” She realized that was a dumb question when she finally spotted him. Her brave and gallant cousin was on his knees holding onto his head, looking absolutely dumbfounded. “What happened?” The princess rushed to her cousin’s side, kneeling down next to him, placing a comforting hand on his back. 

“I don’t know what to do….” Owain’s voice cracked, she had never witnessed the boy look so defeated in her life. She wasn’t even sure she knew what to do to comfort him. “I must be a fool”

Lucina rubbed circles onto his back to try and comfort him in this state. He wasn’t giving her answers so she could only imagine what Brady could have possibly said to reduce him to such a state. If Brady were the one to break up with Severa why would Owain be the one who was upset? They must have gotten into a fight. Over Severa? Lucina wasn’t sure. 

After a couple of moments of silence Owain deeply sighed, if he were to confide a secret in someone, it would be Lucina. She was easily the most trustworthy of a group where gossip spread like wildfire. “Brady’s in love with me, and I had no idea” The moment Lucina paused he turned his head to make eye contact. He needed her to understand this, “You cannot tell anyone”

“Of course” Lucina didn’t miss a beat. “You can trust me, I would never.” Owain nodded, in approval. He knew that she was good for her word. “…I have to ask…do you care for him?”

“He’s my best friend of course I care for him” Owain had been quick to state his loyalties. “Do I return his feelings? I don’t know…I didn’t know what to say. What could I say? He had taken me so off guard. I didn’t mean to hurt him; you must know I didn’t mean to hurt him.” Aggravated the man ran his hands through his hair, “This isn’t how the story is supposed to go”

“No…it’s not” She laughed mirthlessly, fate had been ever so cruel to this group of individuals. “Love tends to skew a story’s path. You never see love coming; it catches you off guard and tramples over you like a horse”

“Speaking from experience?” Owain tilted his head curiously. In his time of knowing Lucina, which had been his entire life, she had never once taken a romantic interest in anyone. Rumor used to be that she and Gerome were close in a more than just friend’s kind of way, but that one proved to be very false. 

“Does that surprise you?” Lucina shouldn’t have sounded so defensive. Being a leader meant playing most of her cards close to her chest. She found it hard to confide in anyone and for most of the time, no one was even around to confide in. “That I’m capable of being in love?”

“No….no…that’s not what I meant” Owain had already messed things up with Brady, badly; he didn’t want to insult he only other person he considered to be his best friend. “I clearly don’t know anything. Am I so self-centered that I don’t see these things? Tell me, is something wrong with me?”

“No!” His cousin was quick to shut that down, “No” She repeated, calmer, gentler, “Owain there’s nothing wrong with you and if you…do have these feelings for Brady, I will support you”

“That’s just the thing” He wasn’t decisive about anything, “Do you remember the night of the campfire?” When Lucina nodded he continued his story, “Severa asked me an odd question. At least it was odd at the time. She asked if I ever considered a male companion.”

“Yes I remember that quite well” If Brady had feelings for Owain all this time, Severa must have known about it to ask that sort of question. She had been looking out for her friend all of this time. “You hesitated”

“I did” Owain stood, putting some space between him and the princess. He started to pace the room as he recounted his feelings, “I have been told from the start that I was to find a maiden to wed. All of the greatest stories were that of a man and a woman. I didn’t question it. Why would I? Every great King had a Queen by his side.” He paused, turning to face her, “Why would I hesitate? I’ve thought about that question for the past couple of days. I have been pursuing a woman that I have no interest in just to appease my expectations. I’m trying so hard to be a hero…like the hero in the stories that I hadn’t thought of what that meant. And here comes my best friend, the man that has been at my side for my entire life and he tells me that he loves me. What do I do? I freeze. I saw in his eyes the passion that I had read about. All for me, and now, it’s like I truly understand what those stories were all about. So yes, I’ve been questioning a lot of things” Owain noticed that Lucina had been giving him an expecting look, “Well?”

“Oh, my apologizes, you were making a grand speech and I wasn’t quite sure you had finished” Lucina rose to her feet, embracing her cousin in a hug. She had known all too well about the pressures of royal life. Being the direct descendant of Chrom put added expectations on her, a burden she chose to bear alone to give Cynthia more freedoms. “Expectations will turn you into a shell of a man that you won’t even recognize. I think you know the answer to your plight” She pulled away from the hug, keeping her hands tightly on his shoulders. “Go be Brady’s hero”

Owain blinked in surprise he couldn’t even control the smile appearing on his face he had never actually felt this way before, it felt right. “I think I will” It then dawned on him, “What of you dear cousin? Are you in love with someone? You had mentioned something earlier” 

When Lucina opened her mouth to speak, sounds of shouting had come from outside the walls of the tent. The war bell had rung loudly, meaning that the camp was under attack by raiders, the enemy or risen. The Prince and Princess quickly exited the tent to see friends and comrades grabbing the nearest weapons and engaging in battle. Risen had found their camp. Off into the distance the young royals noticed a blast of lightning coming from the ground and shooting off into the sky.

“What is that light?” Lucina questioned, pulling her sword to the ready. She quickly did a scan of the Shepherds around them. Most of their magic inclined friends were around all except… “Laurent and Brady are missing” She heard Owain’s breath hitch, “Go get them!” She ordered, “I’ll handle this battlefield”

“Stay safe” Owain squeezed her shoulder as a goodbye before breaking off, cutting his way through the path of risen on the way to a grassy hill off into the distance.

Chrom and Robin quickly took over the situation, giving out the command and making sure the healers had enough support around them. Lucina looked up to the sky to see that Cordelia, Sumia, Morgan and Cynthia had taken wing. All of this was happening so fast. An arrow whizzed by her shoulder to take out a risen behind her. “Thank you Noire” She quickly made way to the archers side to protect her weak spot. “Are you alright?”

Noire nodded, stepping aside from her princess to reveal that Inigo had taken an arrow to his thigh. Yarne, in his beast form, stood close to protect the boy. “He’s been hit, w-we’ve been keeping close”

Robin broke apart from Chrom’s side, seeing that a couple of the children were congregating in one area. He had placed the children from the future at high priority and would keep a mental count on how many were around. “We need to get him to Maribelle or Lissa” Lucina could tell that her father’s closest friend seemed distracted. “Have any of you kids seen Severa?”

Lucina’s stomach dropped when the realization hit her, “She’s in the woods” Severa was in the woods alone. She probably had no idea that this was happening…or worse. “We have to find her!” Before it was too late. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************************  
“…So you left it like that?” Brady’s first instinct was to go see Laurent and tell him everything that had happened with Owain. His mother accepted him, Severa promptly broke up with him, and he spilled his heart out to the love of his life. There were a lot of events that his new friend needed to be caught up on.

“I didn’t know what to do…I just…I panicked and left! Awh he probably thinks I hate him” Brady walked alongside his teacher, unsure of where they were actually going in the middle of the night. Laurent seemed to have a plan, and right now he was more than willing to just go along with it. He had been too exhausted to think much beyond that. “It just got uncomfortable”

“Give him some time. You just flipped his entire world upside down” Laurent led Brady to a hill overlooking the campsite. “How are you feeling?” He inquired, “You’ve had an emotional day”

“You’re tellin’ me” Brady folded his arms, and tilted his head in confusion as Laurent crouched down in front of him, emptying contents of his satchel. “But honestly, I feel good. Not about my friendship with Owain taking a nosedive but…I think I can finally start ta be myself. Ah maybe good isn’t the right word. Refreshed?”

“You will have to face Owain again. You cannot run away from him forever, as uncomfortable as it may be…he does care about you.” Perhaps not in the way Brady wanted, but, Laurent didn’t want to count him out just yet. Not without evidence. “At least you can move forward without regret”

“I say that now” Brady scoffed, “Heh I’ll probably regret everythin’ tomorrow morning” He knew he wouldn’t hear the end of it from Severa. She would just go on and on about how she told him so. That it was a dumb idea to tell the truth and that it was much easier to try to get over them while they were none the wiser. Maybe she was right. 

“Hm perhaps, or you’ve just set off a chain reaction of events” Laurent smiled returning to his feet, “As an outside observer I’m curious to see where this will go”

“Oh! I’m glad I could entertain ya with my personal hell” Brady shook his head at his new friend, he was a weird one, “I’ll save ya a seat next time I decide to put myself out there. Hey! I’ll do ya one better. I’ll invite my parents and Severa too; the gang’ll all be there”

Laurent picked up on his apprentice’s obvious sarcasm, at least he could make light of a trying time, “I’d be honored to make an appearance on your behalf” Once their shared laughter died down Laurent turned Brady’s attention to the contents of his bag, “I’m sure you’ve been wondering why I’ve brought you here.”

“A little yeah” Brady wasn’t a huge fan of having to climb a grassy hill, he was more of a fan of flat lands with little incline. Walking around in a robe wasn’t easy. “Normally our training is uh…in the daytime”

“I’ve been impressed by how much you’ve grown.” Laurent started to shuffle around in his satchel as if looking for something important, “Both your skills and your character as an individual. I’d like to say that I see you as more than just an apprentice. I value your company as a friend. I applaud your efforts in being your true self, and I also understood that today should end on a happier note” He pulled out a yellow tome and offered it to his apprentice. “I think you’re ready to learn a new element”

“Whoa I didn’t think I was good enough for this!” Brady enthusiastically accepted the gift, “Wait wait watch me” He posed dramatically, the book open in one hand and his finger pointing to the sky. “Elthunder” To his surprise Brady summoned a blast of lightning to shoot up into the clouds above. “Ohhhhh! Did you see that!?”

Amused at his friend’s antics, Laurent shook his head and chuckled to himself, taking on Brady as an apprentice had proven to be interesting. “Of course I witnessed it; I am standing a mere two feet away”

The pair’s fun had been cut short when the sounds of the war bell reached their ears. Master and apprentice exchanged a glance and without a word they descended the hill and made path back to camp. “What’s going on?”

“I’m afraid we’ll have to find out” Laurent wasn’t exactly the quickest runner but he had been trying his best to keep up with Brady’s speed. “Stay close to me. You didn’t bring your weaponry”

Brady completely forgot in the moment that he didn’t bring his staff, nor his axe with him to meet up Laurent in the night. It was a foolish mistake that he would have to chastise himself about later. “You trusted me with this Elthunder, I’m gonna make you proud” Tonight was going to be the opportunity for Brady to prove that he really had been excelling at a new skill.  
**************************************************************************************************************************************************  
Severa had spent most of her day in the woods, sitting upon a rock and reading intently into the book that Laurent had given her some time ago. It wasn’t that she didn’t like reading; she just never had an opportunity to sit by herself and get invested. With the entire camp thinking that she had run away to deal with a broken heart, now seemed like an opportune time for reading and self-reflection.

Did Brady mess up all of her plans? Absolutely; though she was starting to become jealous of her friend for having the guts to actually come out to not only his stuck-up mother but to Owain himself. She would have to be drugged up with something to confess to Lucina how she felt. Severa could just see the look of disappointment on Cordelia’s face if she were to learn the truth. “Tut-tut Severa you should be exactly like me! A perfect-beautiful-Pegasus riding-warrior who is loved by everyone” She rolled her eyes, just thinking about it annoyed her. “Everyone except for Chrom. Chrom, Chrom, Chrom. What a stupid name for a king”

Severa tossed a pebble into the body of water below, “Gag me” Great and now she was talking to herself in the middle of nowhere like an idiot. She tried to get as comfortable as she could on the rock so she could really get cracking with her read. The book itself read more like a journal than any narrative that she had read before. It was odd, but certainly intriguing.

This man would spend every day in a desert town, just trying to get by, while waiting for his companions to join him. It sounded vaguely familiar, but Severa didn’t care to think about it too in depth. The poor guy felt truly alone in a new environment, no friends, no family when he met a charming merchant with exciting tales of travel and adventure throughout the kingdom. In their short time together the two had fallen in love, and like any other tragedy the two were casted away from the desert town by people who didn’t understand. The desert conditions were harsh and the two only had limited supplies to share between them. 

This was exactly the reason Severa didn’t want to come out and speak of her true feelings for the princess. Nor did she want Brady to. It wasn’t safe for them to be different. As she turned the page to find out what was to happen with a couple she had become so invested in, a light from the sky caught her eye. It was as if lightning was shooting from the ground. Odd. She didn’t realize she spent so much time out in the woods.

Severa set the book down to grab her sword in its place. Something didn’t feel right and the faint ringing of the war bell in the background could only confirm her worries were valid. The camp was under attack. The mercenary carefully took a step forward to look down to her surroundings only to find risen were coming from the trees across the stream and heading in her direction. 

She needed to get to camp. There were far too many of them coming for her to stand her ground and fight. In a hurry she scooped the book up and jumped off of the rock. One thing that her mother praised her on was her ability to run so well. The red-headed girl had been quick on her feet, jumping over fallen logs and ducking under low branches. “You had to find the right rock. Idiot” Severa hadn’t realized until now how deep into the woods she actually settled. 

Severa could see the flames from the camp in the distance; she was so close to exiting the woods when she ran smack into the back of an axe wielding Risen. Of course Risen could never come alone to a party. When the axe-wielder turned around, Severa noticed that it had been accompanied by two more. Great.

She had enough experience with Risen to know to take advantage of their slower pace. Severa skillfully ducked under the axe-wielder’s swing, making itself open to a spin cut decapitation. One down, two to go. Severa used their height differences to her advantage by staying low and kicking one of their legs out from under them. She grabbed the risen as it was falling and propelled it onto the slashing attack of the other. Two down, one to go.

Just as she was about to make her advance on the last remaining risen in her path she felt a sharp pain in her back. An arrow, archers were seriously the bane of her families existence. She chanced to glance behind her to see that the risen from the stream were catching up. She was out numbered yet again and these odds were not in her favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only a couple more chapters left :D
> 
> and again, I cannot thank you guys enough for actually reading this


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath and recovery of the Risen attack. Apparently this chapter was also sponsored by desserts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I've become that person I really really didn't want to be and took forever to update this chapter. I feel horrible! You guys have been so supportive and all of your wonderful comments mean so much. I really do appreciate everyone who has taken the time to even read this.
> 
> Originally this was supposed to be two chapters, I decided to combine them into one since it's been way way too long

Owain needed to get to him, and he needed to get to him fast. His heart pounded in his chest as he ran foolishly alone toward the hill off in the distance. The lightning. He knew in his gut that it was his best friend was up there. Risen started coming from the ground around him, the path forward became blocked. Now was not the time. Like the heroes in the stories he read Owain bravely unsheathed his sword and swung it through the first wave with ease. Brady needed him now more than ever, especially if the Risen also appeared at the grassy peak of the hill.

The prince let some of the demonic beings pass, he couldn’t take them all, he didn’t have the time for it. The army at the camp would be able to take care of any of the spares. He put his faith in his friends. He started to ascend the hill just as a risen was coming up from the Earth. Unable to see it coming, the cold bone of the risen’s hand grabbed him by the ankle and forced him to trip. Dropping his sword ahead of him. No matter. On the ground he resorted to kicking the Risen in the face to force it back, giving him enough time to stumble up and grab his famed blade. “I will send you back to the hell on which you came!” He prepared himself to strike with a mighty blow but was beaten to the punch when an Elthunder lightning spell whizzed by him and obliterated the risen in front of him. 

Owain looked over his shoulder to see who had taken the satisfaction of the kill...only to see Brady slowly lowering his hand, a yellow tome in the other with the pages open. He looked so confident, a rarity on the battlefield. Owain had grown used to Brady’s timidness...he was a healer, he didn’t like the confrontation of a battle. To solve that the prince decided it was best to teach him combat, how to swing an axe properly to defend himself. Brady tried and tried over their sessions but he was too slow, he wasn’t graceful with the blade, it just wasn’t coming to him naturally. Not as naturally as magic so it would appear. 

Owain’s brow twitched as Laurent placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder, congratulating him on using the spell properly and powerfully. Was that jealousy burning in the pit of the prince's stomach? “Are you alright Owain?” Laurent’s voice shook Owain from his thoughts. He simply nodded a yes, for once not having a mouthful to say.

Upon seeing more risen starting to surround them, Brady stepped forward so he could stand at Owain’s side. An actual smirk appearing on his face, he rose his hand to send another blast of lightning forward to annihilate a Risen before him. “Let’s destroy these ugly mugs” Owain had been taken aback by this side of Brady...he didn’t need his protection on the battlefield anymore. 

Laurent, the more experienced mage, covered them from behind using his magics to get any of the Risen that were descending upon them from the top of the hill. “Gentlemen, we need to press forward” 

Owain and Brady only needed to give one another a look, the look, and a nod. These two had been friends for years; and even though Brady couldn’t wield an axe to save his life, he knew the way Owain fought. Having been the one 10 steps behind with a healing staff, Brady could predict when the other man would wave and thrust his sword into a beast. This was no different. Owain led the trio toward the camp, slashing his sword. Brady had his back, whenever a risen would appear in a blind spot he had already casted his elthunder. Laurent was not only impressed by his apprentice’s skill in battle but at the perfect synchronization between the two men. Always the observer on the outside...he could see the potential that was there. 

By the time the three men returned to the camp the action had died down and the Risen had vanished just as mysteriously as they appeared. Owain had observed the damages around the camp, and more importantly he was taking count and making sure everyone was accounted for. Brady didn’t have the time or the patience for counting. With Laurent and Owain right behind him, he stormed right up to the most important tent, the medic tent, if only to make sure that his mother was alright. 

“Ma!” Brady called into the tent, making his presence known. What he wasn’t expecting to see was an injured Inigo laying in one bed bandages on his thigh. His mother, Olivia, dabbing a wet cloth on his forehead. Brady’s stomach dropped when he saw an unconscious Severa in the other bed. His rock, the strong defiant girl who had been getting him through the hardest moments in his life was lying there; the color faded from her face with bandages covering deeper wounds. Lucina stood at one side of the bed with Morgan, while Robin and Cordelia were at the other. All quietly praying that Maribelle could heal her with ease.

It was Cordelia who turned first, her eyes fiercely shooting a glare through Brady, biting back the tears threatening to fall she snapped at him. “I don’t want to see you anywhere near her” He opened up his mouth to protest, “You were the reason she was off in the woods by herself! You broke my daughter's heart, you have no right to be in here” In the heat of the moment she was only acting like a mother defending her child. Severa would have gotten a complete kick out of this if she were conscious.

Brady looked down to his feet, Laurent rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. Cordelia was half right on her accusation. He knew he didn’t break her heart, but it still was his fault that she went to the woods. It was all apart of their stupid act. If he stuck along with it just a little longer maybe this wouldn’t have happened. “...Is she gonna be okay?”

It was then Maribelle stepped between Cordelia and her son, “That’s enough” Though the Pegasus knight was stronger and much taller than the Noblewoman, Maribelle held her ground. Yes Cordelia was lashing out unfairly, she completely understood, but this was her son and she was not going to have anyone speak to her Brady bear like that. “Severa has been badly poisoned” She explained to the three men in the room, “My magics were able to stabilize her, but I’m making an antidote. I was fortunate enough that Lucina and Cynthia picked up ingredients earlier in the day, however it will take some time for it to kick in” Maribelle could see how hurt her son was over his friend, “I’ll take good care of her” It pained her to add, “You should go”

Owain nudged Brady’s free shoulder, trying to get him to cheer up, Maribelle said she would make an antidote...Severa was going to be just fine. He wanted to say that to the entire room. Though, as brave as the young prince was he wasn’t dumb enough to anger an angry Cordelia. He couldn’t help but notice that Lucina hadn’t looked up once to watch the exchange. Her eyes were fixed on the ginger girl in front of her, a gentle hand on her forearm. It was as if she was in a trance. 

“We will take our leave. If you need anything at all do not hesitate. My mother and I have additional supplies” Laurent knew that they would have an opportunity to return to the tent. Right now the adults needed to have their space. The battle had just ended. The three able bodied men could do more good outside of this medic tent. 

“You didn’t have to yell at him” Robin murmured quietly, his hand held tightly in his wife’s, “She’s going to be okay”

Cordelia understood that her husband was right, that the Shepherds had been more than prepared for any sort of Risen ambush, that the only injuries that surfaced were only Inigo and Severa. Though it were considered a ‘good outcome’ it would never shake the emotion she felt when she and her other daughter discovered her in the woods. Arrows pierced her skin, a defeated fighter left for dead...and a mother who was too late to do anything about it. “If I were only quicker”

Lucina silently glanced up to the worried mother, having similar thoughts of her own. The moments leading up to the battle had played through her head. She went to Owain first. She had been seconds from venturing into the woods herself but was stopped. Perhaps that split second saved her from a similar fate...but even so, at least Severa wouldn’t have to suffer it alone. 

Maribelle gingerly approached the family crowding the conked out Severa, not wanting to upset them she offered, “I can fetch you when she wakes, she may be like this for hours” This wasn’t like a regular hospice situation, if their camp was attacked then chances were that there was a move in their future. Chrom was going to need to consult with his best friend soon. Maribelle wasn’t an idiot. 

Robin hummed, war meant duty had to come first, he didn’t like it but he knew the healer had a point. “The moment she wakes?”

“Yes, and quite frankly, your daughter isn’t the only one who needs the space” The healer’s tent wasn’t the largest by any means. Tactically it looked like any other tent in the camp so it wouldn’t be an easy target for the enemies. Therefore it wasn’t very big. Libra also had his own medical tent elsewhere, hidden in plain sight. “I work better when parents aren’t on the edge of their seat watching everything that I do”

Cordelia was reluctant to leave her daughter alone, she must have been so afraid facing off with that many risen in the forest. “I’ll check in periodically, you can’t stop me from that” If Maribelle was the best chance her daughter had, Cordelia knew that it was best to do what the woman had asked. “Morgan, come, let’s patrol the area”

Morgan, who had been quiet this whole time, simply nodded and went to her mother’s side. She wished she could remember more about her sister, her heart longed to see the snarky girl make a snide comment. Morgan knew her sister well enough that no matter how much she complained about the attention, she secretly craved it. “Yes mother”

As two of the three most important women in Robin’s life exited the tent, his attention shifted curiously to his best friends child. It still astounded him that the baby back at the kingdom grew up to be such a strong, confident and beautiful woman. “You should join us” He offered, it was unsaid between himself and Lucina but she loved being able to spend the time with her father.

Lucina shook her head, she didn’t even take a moment to consider it, “If it’s alright with Maribelle I think I’d like to stay here with her, at least until she wakes up” She would even be the one to fetch Severa’s family if that was what it took to let her stay. 

The noblewoman could hear the desperation in her voice, subtle, but it was there. Lucina didn’t plead much, nor did she ever decline an offer to make battle plans with her father. “Yes, yes that’s quite alright” Maribelle approached the pair, handing Robin a piece of paper. “I understand we’ll be making a move in the near future, here’s a list of supplies I’ll need to replenish what’s lost. Something to keep in mind when discussing our next destination”

“I’ll bring this up with Chrom” Robin slipped the piece of paper into a pocket inside his robe, “I’ll also assign Kellam to stand guard. We must stay diligent in case this isn’t the only attack” He’d feel more at ease with a knight standing guard. If the medic tent were ambushed the only skilled warrior inside would be Lucina. He appreciated everything Olivia and Maribelle offered the group...it wasn’t a favorable scenario, especially with his daughter being one of the injured. 

********************************************************************************

Laurent had broken off from Brady and Owain to check and double check their food supplies. If indeed the risen were utilizing poison it was highly plausible that the miasma emitting from the lifeless creatures could have contaminated their supplies. If that were the case an emergency caravan would have to travel to the nearest marketplace for some fresh produce. He needed to assist his mother as much as possible. 

Brady and Owain however elected to stand guard of the south perimeter of the camp. Brady had been too shaken up about the whole ordeal to even attempt at the rebuilding and fortification. Severa’s injuries were still plaguing his mind. And there wasn’t anything he could damn well do about it. Not to mention the last time he and Owain were having a one on one conversation he had confessed his feelings for him. Neither wanted to be the first to be the one to speak. It was far easier when the risen were attacking. Here there was nothing but deafening silence. 

Unable to stand the dead air between the two, Owain spoke first, he was with his best friend...this shouldn’t be this way. It shouldn’t be awkward and uncomfortable. “So...Laurent, how’s that going?” Really it was petty, he wanted to know how close they really were.

Brady wished he could sit on something, lean against a tree, anything to make himself more comfortable. The tall man crouched down, just so he could bend his legs, “Saved your butt didn’ I?” He didn’t mean to be curt in his reply, if Severa wasn’t in the medic bay he probably would’ve even laughed. It wasn’t every day that Brady was the one to pull the save. 

Owain swallowed the lump in his throat, this was absolutely ridiculous. He was prince Owain! Son of the great knight Frederick and the lovely princess Lissa. He prided himself on the battlefield as well as his charm...and here he was struggling to make idle conversation with his best friend. “She’s going to be alright you know” Owain crouched down to try and be at Brady’s level. He joked, “She’s so stubborn that she’ll outlive us all and call us idiots on our graves” 

Brady didn’t appreciate the joke like he normally would, frankly, he was tired about how the others talked about Severa. Not that she let anyone really know her the way she let him in. It wasn’t as if he had a glorious reputation among the camp. That’s why they originally formed the Snark & Bark society. “It was my fault she was in those damn woods by herself. Ah” He rubbed his forehead with the full palm of his hand, “There ain’t nothin I can do about it”

“Brady, Brady, Brady” Owain hesitantly reached out to his friend, squeezing his shoulder, all he wanted to do was to get him to stop hurting...to stop blaming himself. “You were doing the right thing by your heart in letting her go...no one could have predicted the risen attack” If only there were a way to. “She’s okay. Your mom is taking good care of her” The prince had been caught off guard by his friends laughter, “Am I missing something?”

“Our relationship was never real” Brady admitted, staring to the ground, he wished he had his healers staff with him. Tomes were nice but he couldn’t very well draw in the dirt with a magical book. “Our, ah, romantic one” He sighed, “...For bein’ such a theatrics person I’m surprised you didn’ pick up on it”

“Oh…..” Everything clicked in that moment for Owain. Severa was pretending to be Brady’s girlfriend so the others would never find out about his secret...that he was in love with another man. The breakup was fake. Which meant their lie was what put her in those fatefully dreaded woods. “She’s a good friend” 

“Yeah she is” Brady was never good at being able to hold his emotions back, his eyes watered up as he pictured an arrow going through his friend’s shoulder, how the poison was slowly draining her energy away. “That shoulda been me. She didn’ deserve that”

Owain brought his other hand to the man's free shoulder, giving him a light shake, “Hey! I will have none of that” He offered a gentle smile, “I’m not going to let you bring yourself down for something you can’t control. And next time those Risen show their ugly faces we’ll give them a piece of our minds. Won’t we?” His smile grew when Brady averted his eyes to the ground to look into Owain’s, “Next time we go into battle, you just think of her, and set those bastards on fire” 

Finally there was that smile Owain wanted to see out of his friend, so he continued, “You were like a completely different person out there! Brady the Great, slayer of fiends, commanding the powers of the sky!” He gestured dramatically with his arm to the air, the tension was breaking, he felt like things were swinging back to how it used to be. If only for a moment. “Does your tome have a name?”

“It ain’t like a sword” Brady finally could feel himself relax, shaking his head as he let out a laugh, “Magical books don’t work that way. It’s just an Elthunder”

“Nonsense! That’s but a spell” Owain couldn’t handle crouching anymore so he reached over Brady’s side and picked up the book. Perhaps one day he could teach him how to use spells, he wagered he’d make a good sorcerer. The outfits alone proved fun enough reason to give it a go. “This is your tome. Lightning...sparks...static oh words don’t fail me now” 

This was why Brady loved Owain so much...he could turn any situation into a hilarious show. The prince never saw darkness, he was a shining beacon of light. A true leader. If something terrible ever happened to Lucina, he would be worthy to follow. Brady always was proud to call himself a friend to the prince. Here when he was feeling the lowest of lows, guilty over Severa’s condition, he could find himself smiling. “Thanks”

Owain furrowed his brow in confusion as his tall and gangly friend stood, “For what my friend?”

Brady rubbed the back of his neck, trying to shrug it off as if it were nothing, he didn’t want to make this too uncomfortable or draw anything to him. “Ya always knew how to make me feel better”

*********************************************************************

Back in the medical tent, Olivia had left upon Inigo’s request of dessert. He didn’t understand the potential food crisis, all he wanted was a nice slice of apple pie. He knew Sumia had baked a fresh batch when the Shepherds returned from a previous outing. Maribelle left earlier than Olivia, needing to consult with Libra...leaving Lucina in charge.

Severa gingerly opened her eyes, her body was still weakened from the poison. The antidotes still had a lot of work that needed to be done...but being conscious was a nice change of pace. She heard Lucina’s breath hitch upon realizing that Severa was awake. Where was she? She turned her head to see that Inigo had been on the bed next to her. The medic tent. So she didn’t die.

“You’re awake...oh…” Relieved Lucina got up to fetch Severa a glass of water, “Here drink this” She eased her friend up into a seated position so she could drink better. “I need to find your parents, they would be so happy to see that you’re awake”

Severa almost choked, coughing she weakly reached out to Lucina’s arm, stopping the other girl in her tracks “Don’t you dare. I’d like to breathe for five minutes, thank you” She didn’t want that kind of attention, at least not yet, that was way too overwhelming for her to even think about. “How long have I been out?”

“Oh hours” Inigo chimed in, wanting to be included in the conversation, “The sun rose, and the sun is setting but again”

The redheaded girl’s eyes widened in realization, “You could’ve just said I’ve been out for a day like a normal person. Ugh.” She rested her back against the headboard of the bed, “I can’t believe I’ve slept for a whole day and all I want to do is go back to sleep”

“If that’s what you need to do” Lucina placed the back of her hand against Severa’s forehead to check for a fever. Severa’s cheeks reddened, they were warm, but only because of Lucina’s touch. “Your body needs to rest…” She didn’t want to be the one to have to inform her this, “You could have died out there” Concern laced within her voice. Lucina watched her friends pass in dreams, that was hard enough. 

Lucina would have contniuned that train of thought if it weren’t for Nah coming through the back of the tent with a bowl of chocolate pudding in her hand. So much for Kellam being able to guard well...The small dragon girl was able to get inside with relative ease. With food no less. “...Oh Severa you’re awake” Despite Inigo’s outstretched arms, wanting the pudding, Nah turned to the red headed girl. “How’re you feeling?” She paused, taking in Severa’s state, “Right, that was a dumb question”

“Ah hello, excuse me, Nah” Inigo tried to get her attention, “Could you be a dear and step this way?”

Severa rolled her eyes as Nah sat down by her friends side, handing him the bowl, “You just took an arrow to the thigh. What, are you just milking the pain so you don’t have to work?”

“The arrowheads were poisonous, Inigo hasn’t been cleared yet” Lucina explained to both Nah and Severa, “There were at least four times the dosage in your system” Though it honestly wouldn’t surprise her if Severa’s accusations were true. “How are our food supplies?”

“Thankfully fine” Nah reported, “Laurent and Miriel confirmed that no risen had found their way to the horde. Your mother is trying to raise spirits the only way she knows how...desserts” 

Inigo hummed happily behind her, “A woman who cooks and can keep her figure” His dreamy expression faded when he noted the three women’s glares. Nah was used to his behavior, Severa always seemed to suffer from resting bitch-face but the scowl on Lucina’s face was a rarity, “Oh, too many women”

Defensive, Lucina bit back, “That’s my mother you’re speaking of” 

Severa didn’t like the tension building in the room, so she spoke up, “...So, what’s a girl gotta do to get a pretty girl to bring her pudding?” She tilted her head in Nah’s direction. Inigo’s brows raised curiously, was Severa….flirting? Maybe she was just hungry and mad that he was the only one with food. He did note that Lucina looked like she wanted to punch someone. Oh god. He really shouldn’t have said anything about her mother.

“I uh, didn’t know you were awake?” Nah drawled, chancing to send her friend a confused look, Severa wasn’t a nice girl...and she certainly didn’t go out of her way to compliment people. “It wasn’t hard to sneak in here, I could get you something…” The girl was nearly killed, the least Nah could do was get her a dessert, “Chocolate? Vanilla?”

“Maribelle hasn’t looked at her yet” Lucina clenched her jaw, she was trying her best not to appear bothered by the situation, “We don’t know if she should be eating anything, what if she gets sick?” She offered the glass of water to the pouting girl beside her, “You drink only water until told otherwise”

“I almost died, the least anyone could do is get me is pudding” Severa grumbled taking the glass from her friend and bringing it to her lips. She knew how serious it could have been, it wouldn’t stop her from using it as an excuse to get what she wanted. As if pudding would be the worst thing in the world to throw up if it were to come to that. Lucina hummed an approval once Severa finished her water, taking the empty glass and setting it aside. “Happy?”

“That you’re being stubborn? No. I’m happy that your color is starting to return” Lucina spoke honestly, having been in the medical tent almost the entire day she watched and waited as the other girl slept. The antidote had been helping quicker than Lucina anticipated. “You really scared me”

“Please, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon” Severa tilted her head, trying to make eye contact with her princess but Lucina wouldn’t catch her eye. She seemed focused on something else. “It’s going to take more than risen to kill me off”

Inigo continued with his pudding, Nah sitting at the foot of his bed, not wanting to interrupt what seemed like an intimate moment between the two girls. That didn’t stop Maribelle from coming in with a huff and a plate of apple pie in hand. “Did you really think you could bribe your mother into sneaking you in pie?” The blonde glared at the bowl in his hand. “Oh honestly! I should confiscate that now” She set the pie down on her desk, she promised that she would give the slice to Inigo, but that had been a promise she intended not to keep. 

Unaware of what she was interrupting she noted that her patient was awake and well, “Ah Severa, welcome back to the land of the living” She clapped her hands together, “Nah, Lucina I think visiting hours are over. If you could be so kind and update Severa’s family that she’s awake. Her parents can see her in the morning”

Nah took the now empty bowl from Inigo’s hands, the young man thanking her for making the trouble of even getting it to him. Especially now that pie wasn’t coming his way. Lucina solemnly nodded and rose from her seat, she was reluctant to leave though she respected the noblewoman’s request. Robin, Cordelia and Morgan deserved to know that Severa was making a steady recovery. 

Maribelle came over to Severa and checked her vitals, impressed that she had come along so far, but it was still an uphill climb. She wanted to keep close observation on the young woman. Inigo on the other hand seemed good enough to be cleared, that would have to wait until after she finished the pie. The nerve of him trying to use his own mother to steal him desserts. 

Inigo kept his voice down, as he knew Severa wasn’t going to want the third person in the room to overhear his next statement. “Your flirting could use a little work” When she glared at him, he only put up his hands in defense, “I’m not blind, that bit-with Nah. It wasn’t the poison speaking...I’ve heard the rumors about Kjelle” More like, Kjelle boasted her theory on how Severa couldn’t take her eyes off of her abs. At first Inigo thought it was crazy. Clearly she had a man in her life, as amazing as Kjelle’s abs were, she didn’t seem to be the type to stray. “...Are you…?”

“No” Severa wanted to scream, she wanted to beat him up with the pillow she had been resting her back against. Inigo was not going to be the second person she would admit her orientation to. This was not happening. No. She had been making efforts to try being comfortable with herself, to get over Lucina by flirting with other women...but it was too hard. Maybe she shouldn’t have even bothered. “...If you tell someone I will shove a poison arrow so far up your ass. I swear to any God you can think of-”

“Oh ho ho ho” Inigo shook his head vigorously, he did not appreciate the threat, he paused for a beat, “That does explain a lot”

“And what does that mean?” Severa, bit back, not liking his tone. 

“Why you’ve never expressed interest in me” His smile was wide, but she was not having it, so he laughed it off, “I only jest. You’re so quick to push everyone away, I couldn’t imagine hiding a piece of myself away. The world would be so depraved”

“...I’m sure you’d find comfort in a mirror” 

“Well, you’re never going to get a “companion” with that attitude of yours” He was feeling generous, Sever clearly could use all of the help he could give, “You need to be more approachable to the gentler sex”

Severa groaned into her hands, eliciting a concerned glance from Maribelle. She did not need to be lectured in how to flirt with women from Inigo, “Please shut up”

“I like to start off with a compliment, nothing crass” He placed a hand on his chest, over his heart, “Eyes are always the safest. Like so. ‘Your eyes remind me of a gentle oceans wave’, ‘a field on a spring day’ those are for green eyes” Inigo paused for a moment, “Brown uh, ‘your eyes are like mother nature’s bounty’.”

“Did you just compare a woman’s eyes to dirt?” Severa couldn’t believe she was sitting through this, what an idiot. “I bet she’ll want to jump your bones”

“Blue is such an easier color to work with-I’ve been poisoned! Give me a break” A sigh escaped his lips, “If you cannot compliment their eyes you can pay attention to their hair”

“So you can find a lovely brunette and compare her hair to dirt. Oh drat, I should have asked for a quill and ink. This is such a note taking opportunity” Severa’s tone filled with sarcasm. She wished she could get him to shut up, being bedridden suddenly became torture. “Can you start that over Professor Nitwit?” 

Inigo chuckled, he could never take too much offense from Severa’s threats, she treated everyone this way. “Certainly, you go up to a brunette with brown eyes to match and ask politely if you could plow her fields” Normally he would save any sort of crass humor for Owain, or quite frankly any of the other men. Severa didn’t seem to mind, or be offended, she may of actually laughed; “Really the most important advice I could give you is that you must remain confident” Yes he got rejected plenty of times, but that wasn’t going to stop the young man from trying, “Relax and try being yourself….not the person you think people want to see” 

“Yeah, well,….easier said than done” 

Maribelle could sense the hint of dejection in the redheads tone. The pair of young adults were dumb to think that the blonde couldn’t hear everything that they had been discussing. It wasn’t a very large tent. So what she suspected of Severa seemed to be true. What fools, it appeared that she was going to have to take matters into her own hands.

*******************************************************************************

Brady found himself outside, sitting a table, with a slice of Sumia’s pie. He personally loved to bake but he wasn’t nearly as skilled as she was. He had heard the good news on Severa’s recovery. It had been a huge weight off of his chest, he wouldn’t have known what to do if she wasn’t okay. Still, he knew it was best for his sake to avoid Cordelia...all he wanted to do was talk to her. At least the pie served as a distraction.

“You’re up late, my friend” Owain’s voice broke Brady from his thoughts, he didn’t even notice that his crush had taken a seat across from him. “Gerome and Laurent are on Nightwatch, you should be getting some rest”

Brady stabbed his fork into the desert, “Uh, could say the same for you” He tilted his head to the side, “Why’re you up?”

“Was looking for you actually” The young man rubbed the back of his neck, “Wanted to see how you were doing. I hear Severa is recovering nicely. You can breathe easier” Severa being in good health was going to make this next part a lot easier. “I’ve ah been thinking a lot lately”

“Yeah?” Brady shoved a mouthful of pie into his mouth, very classy, his mother would be so appalled by the sight. “MmmAboutwhat?” He asked, his mouth full. 

“Myself...you...the possibilities of us” Brady swallowed, staring at him with a bewildered look, so Owain continued. “You left before I could process what you were telling me...before I could even understand” The prince reached across the table to place a hand over the other man’s hand, “I would like to take you out on a proper date, when we reach the next village”

Brady couldn’t believe his ears, he knew he was tired but there was no way he could be hallucinating or dreaming this. “Look ya don’t have’ta patronize me” He doubted why Owain would even be asking him onto a date, was it out of pity? “I spilled my heart out to ya and if this is some sorta pity date...you can shove it-”

Owain squeezed his hand trying to reassure him, and to get him to stop talking, “I want to try” He sighed, “My head was in the clouds trying to be this fairy tale character. Maybe it was for my parents, or the group to try to boost morale, I don’t know. I was never happy trying to court women because that was what I was told to do...I never thought...and you” He let out a deep breath, speeches normally came much easier to him when it was to rally the troops, “You opened my eyes, for I was blind….this is genuine” 

Brady could see that Owain was being genuine, he’s known the guy for years so he knew his tells, and when he was being overly dramatic, for the sake of flare. With his free hand Brady slid his plate in front of him, “You want the rest of this?”

The prince looked to the other man in confusion, dumbfounded, but he wouldn’t say no to pie “...You haven’t actually given me an answer…” He searched the other man’s eyes for some sort of clue. A hint of glee, a spot of rejection...something. Anything! Owain’s mind darted from possibility to possibility, the anticipation getting the best of him.

“I just wanted ta see ya sweat it out” Brady grinned, he knew this wasn’t easy for Owain-hell it still wasn’t easy for him to grasp so he’d just go with the flow, see where it’d go. “Yes I’ll go on a date with ya” Of course he had no idea the first thing about dating, shit, he was going to need to talk to Severa or Laurent stat. 

******************************************************************

It must have been past midnight when Maribelle forced Severa to wake up, she needed to take another dose of the antidote before going back to sleep. Earlier Inigo was cleared of poison so Maribelle released him. Lucina returned to the medic tent after informing Severa’s family that they could visit in the morning...she insisted that she stay with Severa. Maribelle wasn’t an idiot, so she allowed it. Lucina had taken her seat next to the bed and had fallen asleep sometime during the night. 

“Ugh this stuff is disgusting” Severa, barely awake, complained taking the liquid Maribelle had concocted. If someone were to make medicine taste good they would make a fortune in gold. 

“I know sweetie, you can go back to sleep soon” Maribelle rubbed the other girls upper arm to try and coax her, “Your body’s been healing magnificently, it won’t be much longer, I promise”

Severa nodded, her eyes traveling over to the girl at her bedside, “...What’s she doing here?” She knew Maribelle didn’t like having visitors, so she was surprised to see that she had made an exception. 

Well, now was as good of a time as any, Maribelle pulled up a chair and sat at her patient’s free side, “She specifically requested to stay at your side” The pair kept their voices down, trying their best not to stir the other woman, “She cares a great deal about you”

Severa scoffed, rolling her eyes, she probably would have done this for any of the second generation crew, “Yeah, as if” Gosh this girl was so stubborn, Maribelle’s heart twinged for this poor girl who didn’t think highly of herself. “...She didn’t need to do this”

Maribelle was going to take a stab at it, it was late enough at night and Severa might be too tired to fight her, “You should tell her how you feel” The redhead shot the blonde a poignant look, “Please, I’m not blind. Also, I have ears” Severa’s eyes went wide, “Don’t look at me like a goldfish, that’s unbecoming of a lady. Now if you really want to woo a woman I could give you some pointers” She could wager that she had more of technique than Inigo. “Denial is like a poison, my dear. Bottling up how you really feel, lying to yourself, to others...it’ll eat you up from the inside”

“You really have the gall to compare this to a poison? Really?” Severa tried to remain strong, she wasn’t used to people calling her out her feelings like this. It was easier when people avoided her, when they didn’t want anything to do with her. Putting up a wall to protect her emotions had become second nature. It was survival.

“I’d like to call it poetic opportunity” Maribelle paused, “You cannot distract me and change the subject...do you love her?” She could see the hesitancy in her patient’s eye, “It’s okay, you can tell me. I already know the truth about my Brady bear, it wasn’t hard for me to put two and two together”

Severa could solemnly nod a response, she was too tired, too weak to keep fighting this. Brady knew the truth...Inigo learned that she liked girls. She hated talking about it, her feelings, coming out to people was supposed to be easier each time. Another person knowing would just be another step to being who she wanted to be. So why did she have such a hard time with it? “...It sucks”

“Loving royalty always does” Maribelle hummed, earning a curious glance from Severa, “But sweetie, look at her” her eyes traveled over to Lucina next to her, “She’s hardly left your side...I know a thing or two about doting loved ones” The noblewoman scoffed, “Why do you think I have such a strict policy on guests?” Unless one of her patients were truly dying she didn’t like the extra emotion around while she worked, “Call me soft for making an exception” 

Severa wasn’t sure what to say to that, “Thank you?”

“Thank me when you’ve told her the truth” The older woman leaned over to kiss the top of the ginger’s head, “Now get some sleep, you won’t get much peace and quiet later” She was not thrilled about Chrom deciding that the camp needed to relocate, but it had to be done. Maribelle sent the girl a reassuring smile before getting up and walking to the back ‘room’ of the tent where she had a bedroll set up. 

Severa always thought that Maribelle hated her so it was nice to see a different side of her. She wished that she could be close with her own mother. Unbeknownst to her, she slept through most of her mother’s visits. She, her father, and sister took shifts throughout the day to check up on her. It gave Lucina a brief chance to step out to get something to eat, and catch up with her father on their next tactical strategy.

She smiled fondly to the girl at her beside, all she wanted to do was reach over and stroke her hair...hold her in her arms….kiss her dumb face. Even when she was sleeping Lucina managed to look ravishing. Stupid princess. Severa gasped in surprise when the girl she had been gazing at, lifted her head, and slowly sat back in her chair. Lucina bit her lip, trying to find the correct words to say before finally just asking the million dollar question, “You’re in love with me?”

Oh no, this was a nightmare. Lucina heard her conversation with Maribelle? No. No. No. This could not be happening. “You...you were awake!?” Severa sputtered an answer, shaking her head wildly, “You know, eavesdropping is extremely rude” She folded her arms defensively, letting out an exasperated sigh. She immediately rose her defensives. 

Lucina’s expression softened, she didn’t want Severa to feel like a cornered animal, “I apologize for that…” She glanced down to her hands, defeated, “I haven’t been able to get a sound night of sleep in…” Lucina really couldn’t place a finger on the last time she could sleep through the night, “I was in and out but, yes, I did hear some things”

“Hmph” Severa refused to look over to Lucina, trapped in a medic bed she couldn’t physically get past her or an angry Maribelle. “You can leave now” It was a weak attempt at forging a wall, her mind was in full panic mode. “I don’t want to see you”

“No...not until we talk” Lucina sighed, was Severa really going to act like a child, “We need to talk about this. You can’t say that you love me and then refuse to acknowledge it”

“Watch me” Severa could feel Lucina’s eyes on her, much like her mother would when she was being scolded, “And besides, I didn’t say I love you to you-I said I love you to Maribelle. In our private conversation that you were not invited to” She rested her head on the backboard, her hair for once not being in her signature twin tails. She couldn’t do this anymore. If Lucina wanted to talk about it...fine.

“What do you want me to say?” Severa continued, “Yes. Okay? I’m in love with you” She clenched her jaw, trying to do whatever she could to prevent any tears from falling. She felt vulnerable enough as it was, “And it’s the worst realization that’s ever happened to me. Do you know how hard it is? I can’t even look at you. You’re so...ugh. You’re so freaking perfect-with your freaking perfect hair and your freaking perfect face. It’s exhausting to be in love with you” She bit, shaking her head, disgusted with herself, “I have tried so hard to get you out of my head”

Lucina wasn’t sure how to take Severa’s outpouring feelings, she knew this was just the tip of the iceberg, and somewhere she believed there was a compliment. The princess nodded for her friend to continue. 

“I talked Brady into dating me” Severa admitted, shaking her head, “I thought that would have been the perfect scenario. No one would ever learn my secret. Clearly the lying got too much for him” And to some extent she knew that it would get to her too, “It was all fake. So then I thought, fine, try women...clearly that’s what I’m attracted to. Nope. You’ve got this vice grip on me. I’ve tried so hard not to be in love with you”

“So hard that you hated me?” Lucina had to get up from where she was seated, running her fingers through her azure locks, “Did you once think how I would feel about this situation? Severa, I’ve been racking my brain for weeks trying to figure out why you’ve been so cold with me” She let out a mirthless laugh, “I thought I’ve wronged you in some horrible way...and here I’m the fool”

“Oh yes poor Lucina” Severa reached over to her bedside where a pitcher of water had been sitting, she didn’t mean to be so rude, she never really even thought much about what was going on Lucina’s side. “You don’t need me. You have literally everyone”

“You’re the idiot Severa” Two days spent at the bitter girl’s side had been draining for Lucina, she was struggling to sleep as it was, now was not the time for being polite or courteous, “You don’t even realize how much you mean to me, and I realize, part of that is my fault” Most of it was her fault, “I’ve always focused so much on this war, my duty…” She trailed off, everyone knew how much that meant to the princess, “...It was easier that way”

Severa wasn’t so sure what Lucina was going on about, she just took the glass of water to her lips, listening instead of trying to snap at her. 

“It was easier for me to come across as uninterested in suitors than to face the truth” Lucina stepped over to the foot of the bed, resting her hands on the frame, “Before the war, think back, did I ever seem enthralled by the idea of Gerome? Of Inigo?” She tilted her head to the side, hoping that Severa would fill in the blanks on her own. Seeing as the girl continued to stare at her she continued, “...You’re not the only one hiding a secret”

Severa calmly set the empty glass of water back onto the nightstand, glancing up to her, “So what, now you’re going to try one upping me on deep dark secrets?” It was meant to be a joke, a reflex, she wished Brady was around to punch her in the arm for that, “I’m sorry, please, continue”

“I hated seeing you with Brady, kissing him, his arms wrapped around you. I felt like throwing up when Kjelle boasted about…” Lucina shook her head, “You told the girl you could do laundry on her abs?”

Severa’s cheeks flushed red at the comment, ugh, she was never going to live that down! The risen needed to come back so she could be poisoned four more times or be put back into a nice coma. “...She has a nice body!” She protested, she knew she wasn’t wrong, “...right...that so isn’t the point”

“My blood boiled when you flirted with Nah right in front of my face” Lucina stepped closer so that she could be right back at the bedridden girls side, “Do you see where I’m going with this?”

“That despite being daddy’s perfect little princess you have a mean streak of the green eyed monster? Who knew” Severa relaxed her shoulders, unable to take her eyes off of the girl beside her, “Do I need to pretend I’m asleep so you can tell Gerome, or are you going to say it to my face?”

Lucina knew she deserved that, she sat down on the side of the bed, Severa scooching over so the princess could have some more room. “Severa, I think I’ve loved you for a long time” She reached over to brush a strand of red hair behind the other girl’s ear, “And that terrifies me” When Severa’s brows furrowed in confusion she continued, “You could have died...my dreams are a constant reminder of what could happen”

Risking the move, Severa took Lucina’s hand into her own and moved it to place it on her chest, so the princess could feel her heart beating in her chest, “I’m not dying. I’m right here...and I’m not going anywhere” 

The two girls fell silent, just taking in the intimate moment. Severa didn’t push Lucina anymore about what she had said about her feelings. Lucina didn’t press Severa further on hers. Severa knew this wasn’t the time, that could come later. Right now her princess needed reassuring, today wasn’t going to be the day that she’d lose her comrade, her best friend her….something more.

“Come up here” Severa slinked down in the bed to get comfortable, patting the spot next to her, beckoning for Lucina to join her. “I’ll make sure you’ll sleep easy tonight Princess”

Lucina was hesitant about the idea, though she went along with it, taking off her boots before climbing in bed next to the girl. She turned on her side so she could wrap an arm around Severa, being very gentle with her as she rested her head on the other woman’s chest. Taking comfort in hearing her heartbeat. 

Severa closed her eyes, smiling to herself at the position she was in. They still had a lot they needed to work out...but there was something there. And for once in this lonely existence Severa found hope that something for once could be going her way. She was going to need to talk to Brady stat about this. Oh God, Brady. There was so much that she wanted to tell him. That would have to come at sunrise….for now she just needed to take stock of her good fortune.

Tonight had been the first night Lucina slept without nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've focused more on the Maribelle mothering figure as opposed to the Cordelia factor. She and Severa are due for a mother/daughter talk. It'll come :D


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again thank you all so much for taking the time and reading! This chapters a little more on the fun side

The next morning Severa woke up to see her mother sitting at her bedside. This wasn’t right? Where was Lucina? The night was perfect, the girl that she loved had fallen asleep in her arms. Sitting up slowly Severa looked around the medic tent trying to find a sign of her princess. Nothing.

“Good morning” Cordelia smiled to her daughter, offering her a fresh glass of water, “I didn’t want to wake you” The Shepherds were planning on moving their camp, but she didn’t have the heart to wake her sleeping daughter. She looked so peaceful when she wasn’t putting her guard up. The poor child had suffered so much in the future. She must have forgotten her surroundings, “You’re in the medic tent, it’s okay, you’re safe”

Severa wasn’t an idiot, but she took the glass of water from her mother and relaxed her shoulders, “Where’s Lucina?” She asked after taking a long swig of the beverage.

“You know Maribelle’s policy when it comes to guests” To Cordelia’s knowledge she had been the only one in the medic tent this morning. The sun had barely risen and she wanted to make sure that Severa woke up to a familiar face. “I’m glad the two of you have patched things up” It warmed her heart to see that Severa had a friend that constantly looked out for her. It had been Lucina to volunteer to be at her side when her own parents couldn’t be. “And you know, you always have me”

Severa tried her best to hide the hurt, there was no way she could have imagined what had happened last night. Sure she was pretty out of it...but Lucina was there. Why would she just up and leave? Patch things up, they did more than just that, Lucina had confessed that she harbored a huge secret love for her. She needed to talk to her immediately. “Tch whatever” She rolled her eyes, it was out of habit, “Thanks I guess”

Cordelia sighed, she didn’t understand why connecting to her eldest daughter was so difficult. All she wanted to do was to be the mother she never had. To make her know that there was someone out there that loved her unconditionally. “...Do you want to talk about it?”

“About what?” Lucina? Her “friendship” that was not something she was ready for. Letting it slip to Inigo was one thing. Not her mother, not yet, not when things actually seemed normal for once.

“Your relationship with Brady ended” The whole reason Severa was alone in the woods was because she was upset over the break up. At least that’s the situation Cordelia understood. “I know you two were very close…”

Oh. That. “I’ll be okay…” Severa set the glass back on her bedside table, she did appreciate the gesture. “It was never going to work out” Cordelia tilted her head curiously at Severa’s tone, “I didn’t love him” This was all she was going to say on the matter, “We’re better off as friends” Right she had to keep up with the act. “I was able to clear my head enough to figure that out”

Cordelia couldn’t place her finger on exactly what it was, but she could sense that her daughter was holding something back. Call it a mother’s intuition. She just wished she wasn’t so stubborn and opened up to her. There had to be a way to connect with her daughter without a bribe being involved.

Maribelle came out of the back area, her hair freshly curled to perfection, “Good morning ladies” She wasn’t fond of the nights where she had patients, she rather enjoyed the nights she could spend with her husband. “Ah Severa it’s nice to see the color return to your face” She observed, stepping over to check her vitals. “Hm, you know, I never noticed how much you resemble your mother. You should consider wearing your hair down more often” The blonde debutant observed. She personally didn’t understand why Severa was so fond of putting her long red hair into pigtails.

Oh great. There was a reason she always wore her hair differently. She hated being compared to her mother. Her beautiful and perfect mother. She could never live up to those genes; especially with her preferring women. “Please tell me I’m cleared. I want to get out of this bed” She needed to see Lucina.

Cordelia appreciated the kind words; she of course saw it as a compliment, “Yes, is there some good news? Or do we have to craft a stretcher?”

Severa’s eyes widened, oh no, she did not want to be taken out of this camp and have a burly man have to carry her during the camp’s great migration. “Can’t I ride Minerva or a horse or something?”

“There won’t be any need for that” Maribelle smiled, “I still want to keep a close eye on you, so you will have to periodically report to me. You’ll need to keep up with your fluids but you should be able to walk on your own two feet today”

“Oh that’s excellent news” Cordelia smiled, standing up from her seated position and pulling a rucksack from the floor, “I brought you a change of clothes so you could feel fresh” Being tethered to a medic bay was no fun. From her own experience the first thing she always wanted to do when injured by stray arrows was to get a nice change of clothes or find a hot bath if she could find the time.

“Change in my quarters” Maribelle offered, “You’ll have more privacy there” The medic tent tended to have a rotating amount of visitors, and that wouldn’t do.

Severa had been too busy looking into the bag, curious to see what kind of outfit her mother picked out for her. She prayed that her mother would have good taste. Getting up off the bed for the first time in a couple of days she turned her head to the blonde. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done for me” She wasn’t the type to dish out gratuities, but Maribelle had helped her out in more ways than one. Severa smiled fondly to the older woman before taking her leave and going to the backroom, rucksack in hand, to properly change.

“How is it that you can bond with my daughter and I struggle to have a conversation with her?” Cordelia observed, curious, that seemed to go much further than a doctor/patient bond.

Maribelle knew it wasn’t her place to tell any sort of secret Severa was harboring. No. If anyone was going to tell Cordelia it would have to come straight from the horse’s mouth. Maribelle simply shrugged at any sort of implication, “I did just save her life, people tend to be appreciative of not dying a slow and painful death”

Cordelia glanced down to the shorter healer, “I want to apologize the way I spoke to Brady-” Her sentence was cut short by the blonde putting her hand up to protest.

“As much as I enjoy groveling and asking for my forgiveness, you don’t need to. I appreciate the gesture, my dear, considering the circumstances…” Maribelle knew she would be up in arms if her Brady bear were hurt. She wasn’t one to bite her tongue if she wanted to say something, “Just don’t let it happen again”

It was odd for Cordelia to think but if things had gone differently Maribelle could have been her daughter’s mother-in-law. Perhaps in a different life. “I will say, they were very cute together”

Maribelle stifled a laugh, oh if only her comrade knew the truth, “Something tells me they’ll make it out alright”

**********************************************************

Severa rushed around the campground in search of Lucina. There had been so much time wasted over schemes and hidden feelings...there was so much they had to talk about. To work out. Ugh. Of all days this had to be the morning the camp had to pack up? Severa ignored the men in the camp, waving off their observations that she had recovered nicely. Great. Fantastic. She survived the poison! Hurrah. But not a single one knew the location of their princess. She couldn’t even find Brady. No there wasn’t time. She could fill him in later.

Lucina wasn’t helping take down tents, loading up carriages, she wasn’t preparing the last meal before setting off. Severa was growing impatient. Was she avoiding her? Was this too much? Had Severa been a fool for thinking for a second that maybe she had been wrong this whole time? With so many thoughts and questions in her mind she had begun to doubt herself. There was no way a royal could be in such a sinful relationship.

It wasn’t until she reached the end of the camp, approaching an open field when she spotted the apple of her eye sparring with Kjelle. Severa took a few moments to fully appreciate Lucina’s grace from a far. Maybe she did hallucinate the night before. How could someone so beautiful and kind like someone like her? Severa’s eyes narrowed, her jaw settling when she noted that Kjelle turned away from the fight. Great. Not this again.

“Well hello Severa” Kjelle’s words seemed to snap Lucina out of her trance. The Azure haired girl followed her friend’s gaze. Lucina’s breath hitched into the back of her throat. Kjelle noticed, and decided to have a little fun with the situation, “Have you come to do laundry?” She heartily laughed gesturing that she could unbutton the bottom of her tunic. It wasn’t a secret that she had the best abs amongst the camp.

Lucina didn’t appreciate her friends blatant flirting with...with...ah she wasn’t sure what to call Severa at this point. So Severa was right; she had a jealous streak.

Severa knew that her face was turning red, flustered at Kjelle’s remark, “As if” She needed to play this cool. She wanted nothing but to wipe that smug look off of the paladin’s face. “Lucina we need to talk” The warrior approached the pair of women, her arms folded. No there was nothing stopping her now.

“Perhaps later?” Lucina pleaded, she couldn’t have this discussion now. The whole camp was about to move it was only a matter of time. “I need to get my training in” In truth she wanted more time to try and clear her head. She didn’t know what she was going to say to Severa. She never imagined that she could be in a situation where she would have to confront her feelings for the shorter woman. “Please”

“You can’t just toss me aside” Severa narrowed her eyes, Lucina was really going to blow her off? Pretend that this wasn’t happening? That she didn’t admit that she was in love with her? “I can’t believe this”

Kjelle looked from Lucina, to Severa, and back. What had she missed? First they were childhood friends, then Severa wanted nothing to do with her, Severa dated Brady, but then she would hit on Kjelle and now? She was going to have to get to the bottom of this. She knew something felt off when Lucina insisted that they spar. “Run along Severa. We’re a bit busy”

Lucina didn’t want to end this poorly, she reached a hand over to attempt to place on Severa’s shoulder but the other girl swatted her hand away. “We will talk later, you have my word”

Severa was beyond furious with Lucina, but she was giving her her word, whatever game she was playing at least Severa knew the other woman was honorable to her word. “Whatever. Sorry to be an inconvenience” Venom dripped from her voice at the word inconvenience. She wanted it to sting. She wanted Lucina to feel guilty. Turning on her heel she left the two women in a huff.

“What was that all about?” Kjelle asked her friend, a brow raised, “Just a few days ago you were trying to figure out how to be friends again?”

“I don’t want to talk about it” Lucina picked up a wooden sword and tossed it over to her friend, “I want to spar. This is what I’ve asked you to do”

Kjelle complied, this was her princess after all, but boy was her friend an idiot. Kjelle wasn’t the best with a sword but she would make do. She loved a challenge after all. “But there’s something to talk about?”

Lucina started the spar, lunging forward with her sword, Kjelle had to act quickly to parry the attack away. So there was something to talk about. Kjelle prided herself on her defensive skills. Even without her armor she was able to block any slash that Lucina unleashed onto her. Wood clashed with wood. Lucina continued to make her advances. “I know she finds me attractive”

That seemed to strike a nerve, Lucina’s next swing had much more power to it. Kjelle had to physically jump back out of the way, preferring it over a block. Lucina was becoming much less focused on tactics and relied more on her power. Odd. “I’m beginning to think her whole tryst with Brady to be an act” She studied Lucina’s reactions. Oh Kjelle wasn’t a fool. She had sworn to protect her princess, she spent a lot of time with the other woman to know her tells. “At least she has good taste in women, could you put in a good word for me?”

Lucina’s eyes narrowed swinging her sword down hard, making contact with the other woman’s fake blade. She forced Kjelle to drop it. “Stop talking of Severa”

“Why?” Kjelle questioned the royal, picking up the sword and motioning Lucina to start again. “Is it because the thought of her and I together is making you rash?” When Lucina lunged forward again, Kjelle stepped back out of the way, grabbing the royal by the arm and slamming her to the ground with relative ease. “You’re completely unfocused”

Lucina coughed, on her back, the wind completely knocked out of her. She stared up at her sparring partner with eyes wide. “Give me a moment” Her lungs needed a moment to recover from the current state of shock.

Kjelle shook her head no, sitting beside the fallen princess. “I want you to be honest with me. I realize I am stepping over my bounds with this question, and for that I will pledge to you complete secrecy” She kept her voice low, even if there had been no one around to hear, “Do you...have romantic feelings for Severa?”

Lucina knew she could trust Kjelle with her life. There was a reason she appointed her to stay at her side. She was the strongest warrior amongst the group and….she made for a good friend when Severa was lost to her. The sky seemed to be much more intriguing than looking her companion in the eyes. She didn’t say a word, breathing still needed to catch up to her, so she simply nodded. Yes.

“Hmmm” Kjelle leaned back, resting her weight on the palms of her hands. Looking up to the blue sky, it seemed interesting enough for Lucina. She couldn’t blame her. Back in the future the sky hardly was a blue so bright. “I should have known” She paused for a moment, “I wasn’t serious about going after her” Even if she was attracted to the pouty redhead, she wouldn’t dare go after a man or woman her friend was interested in.

“That’s appreciated” Lucina had the energy to get up again, though she found comfort in lying in the grass.

“So you’re a…..” Kjelle chanced looking down, Lucina’s expression gave her the answer she needed, “What’s holding you back?”

“You said it yourself” Lucina propped herself up on her elbows, this was an odd conversation that she never expected would happen. She had grown much more accustomed to processing her feelings by herself and only relying on her instincts. Right now her instincts were telling her that letting Severa into her heart would only hurt her in the end. “I’m unfocused. She makes me weak, Kjelle, and I cannot afford weakness. We’re so close...I’m afraid that letting anyone” Who was she kidding, “Letting her into my heart will get her killed”

“That girl isn’t going anywhere” Not with that determination, “She will stay by your side if you reject her feelings or not” Kjelle was never good at feelings. She had always been a straight shooter. She liked someone, go for it, if someone liked her...they bettery prove they were damn worthy enough. It didn’t take much. “Look at all of our parents. They know the risk going into battle every day...it gives a reason to keep fighting” Kjelle shrugged, she was never one to be shy, “I’m sure the sex helps relieve the stress”

Lucina’s jaw dropped, her face flushed, she reached over to hit her friend’s arm, “That is so crass!”

Kjelle’s grin widened, this was no way to talk to a royal but she felt that she could get away with it, “You’re thinking about it”

Lucina forced herself to get to her feet, she was not going to indulge Kjelle any longer. “I most certainly am not” The princess offered her paladin a hand so she could rise to her feet as well. The Shepherds were going to have to move camp shortly and she needed to be at the head of the movement.

“Not even a little?” Kjelle pressed, her voice soft as they started to leave the training field, so she was having too much fun with this newfound information. “You haven’t once thought of how she would be in the bedroom?” At Lucina’s harsh glare, Kjelle rose her hands defensively, she just called them as she saw them. “I apologize. I realize there is no time for you to get a cold shower in” At Lucina’s loud groan, Kjelle couldn’t help but laugh at her own joke.

*****************************************************************

Severa needed to call for an emergency S&B meeting. She needed Brady as soon as possible to fill him in on the emotional roller coaster ride she had been experiencing. With the camp finally packed up and moving to the next location it would be the easiest time to weasel herself away from her mother and find her “ex-boyfriend”.

As usual Brady was in the back of the pack. The young man liked keeping his own pace and often kept his distance from the rest of the group. He wasn’t the easiest guy to talk to so he tried to avoid it when he could. Relief washed over him as he saw his best friend, Severa, come to the back of the line. He didn’t give a damn about their fake relationship. The mage in training was so relieved to see that she was alive and on her own two feet again. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, hugging her close to his body. “Ah I don’t think I’d forgive myself…..gah I’m so happy you’re okay!”

Severa wasn’t the hugsy type of person, she wasn’t the best at showing her affections let alone showing them physically. Her body relaxed into her taller friends embrace. If the world was different and they liked the opposite sex they could have really been a damn good couple. “I’m not dying anytime soon” She spoke softly, wrapping her arms around him to assure him that she was still there. “You’re stuck with me”

“I got so much I wanna catch ya up on!” Brady exclaimed, trying to keep his voice down, but he had been beaming with excitement. Severa shushed him as she pulled apart from the hug. “Sorry” He rubbed the back of his neck, he wasn’t used to things going his way, “I told ‘em how I feel n’stuff”

The pair made sure to start walking even slower than before, giving as much space as they could allow for other Shepherds to walk in front of them. “How did that go?” Severa asked, that was the whole reason why they had to end their fake relationship after all. She was so proud of Brady for coming to terms by himself and having the guts to just do it.

“Well ah” Brady scratched his head, trying to find the right words, “Not great. No no no! Don’t get sad on me” He waved his free hand, he didn’t want Severa to start feeling bad for him. Not when he had such amazing news. “I freaked. It was bad and then the risen happened….and uh he asked me out on a date” He quickly added, “A real one”

Severa didn’t expect that...she was pleasantly surprised that she wasn’t going to have to console him or worse try to set him up with another gay man. Hopefully this wouldn’t be something Owain wanted to try and then back out of if he wasn’t ‘feeling it’. All Severa wanted was for her best friend to find some happiness, so she had to be a tad skeptical. “What are you wearing?”

“Huh?” Brady looked at her dumbfounded, he looked down to his black and purple robes, “This?”

“No absolutely not” Thank gawds Brady found her before he went on this date. With a prince no less! If Severa didn’t kill him, Maribelle most certainly would have. “You want to be sexy but not too sexy, you understand?”

“Uh” Brady was going to be honest, he was never one to pay much attention to clothes. He loved being in his priest robes and his mage robes. The loose fit was relaxing. On the days the sun didn’t shine brightly that is. Those things were comfortable but they could get hot. “I don’t really have anything else”

Severa groaned into her hands, she loved Brady but ugh he was such an idiot. This had to work out for one of them. “Well this isn’t good at all”

Laurent, seeing that the two were chattering, decided that he would saddle up next to Severa. She seemed rather stressed and with her still on the mend it wasn’t good for her to get worked up. He wanted to make sure that his apprentice wasn’t doing anything to work up her blood pressure. “Is everything alright?”

“This is the only outfit Brady has apparently” Severa’s hands motioned to the sky as if some higher being had been listening in to her pleas. Frustrated she shook her head, “There’s no way we can get him a suitable outfit by sundown”

Having missed the entire conversation Laurent looked over the shorter girl’s head and to his apprentice. “Why is a new outfit necessary?”

“I uh” Brady rubbed the back of his neck, making sure to keep his voice low, “I gotta date with-” He knew two members of the Shepherds had sensitive hearing...and Yarne was a bit of a gossip. So he motioned to the prince at the head of the pack. He had been chatting up his young cousin Cynthia.

Laurent traced his line of sight to the prince. Ah. “I must agree with Severa, you cannot wear that out on a romantic evening” He pursed his lips, trying to come up with a plausible plan. “Leave this to me” Without another word he left the pair and weaved through the company so he could speak directly with Chrom.

“What does he think he’s doing?” Severa tilted her head in confusion, especially when Chrom turned his head to look directly at them. “Do you think he’s telling him that you soiled yourself so we need to stop and get new pants?”

Brady frowned, disgusted that that was even the first place her mind even took it, “No! Gah why would that be somethin’ he’d say!?”

“He’s looking directly at us! What else could he possibly be telling him?” Severa shot back defensively.

The tall man deadpanned, “Literally anythin’ else”

Brady and Severa both tensed up when the entire company stopped. Each of them looked to their respective royals out of habit...checking to see how they were reacting. Owain didn’t look very phased by the sudden stop of their journey...Lucina however seemed perplexed by it. What did Laurent possibly say to Chrom?

“In response to the latest risen attack we are down on supplies” Chrom announced, his shepherds were so quiet that a pin could drop. “Laurent has brought it to my attention that there is a village up ahead. I’ll be sending the children there to stay at the inn. The rest of us will continue west where we will set up camp with what we have. We’ll make due there. Our rations should last us the next couple of days” He nodded to Lucina, who was on horseback next to him, “This is where we split up. For now. Until we see each other again”

Lucina wasn’t one to question her father’s orders in front of his entire people but she did have to wonder why he only sent the children into the town. Perhaps this was to give her an opportunity to lead on her own. “Alright, everyone, follow me...we head for the next village”

Severa let out a held breath, Brady knew something was up, he had spent the whole time talking about himself that he didn’t properly check on his friend. “You okay?”

“Yeah….yeah I’m just fine” The redhead forced a smile, she needed to pretend that she was happy in order for Brady to stay relaxed. This was going to be such a big night for him, the last thing she wanted was for him to worry about whatever her situation was. It didn’t matter. The first chance she gets she was going straight for Lucina. She needed to confront her once and for all about what they both were feeling. First, she needed to be a good friend. Brady needed a new outfit and stat.

The village they would be staying at was quaint. It wasn’t in any farming district so the market place would be ideal. Laurent made the arrangements at the inn, each room was equipped with two twin beds. He also went ahead and assigned the rooms. Cynthia and Lucina, Severa and Morgan, himself and Gerome, Yarne and Brady and Owain and Inigo. Since there was an odd number Nah, Noire and Kjelle had to share a room between the three of them. It was only fair that they were compensated with one king bed. That one was hard to explain, but at least no one would be on the ground. It seemed like a fair way of separation.

Next he needed to divide up the work so that he, Brady, and Severa could break off and find him a strapping outfit to sweep a prince off of his feet. Owain had volunteered to speak with the townsfolk. It was common for Shepherds to ask around to see if there were any ruffians or warlords around. Laurent suspected that he wanted intel on where he should be taking Brady on a date. Call it an educated guess.

Gerome and Kjelle were chosen to look into weapon supplies, Cynthia, Morgan, and Lucina were on armor duty. Inigo decided that he would join Owain, it would be his opportunity to talk to the fairer sex in hopes to get lucky. Noire, Yarne and Nah were assigned to go into the marketplace and place large orders for the food supplies. Which left Laurent, Brady and Severa to gather magic supplies and ingredients for potions and medicines. It left for a win/win in Laurent’s mind. The Shepherds would have additional supplies by the late afternoon on the next day and the kids could have one night to themselves. Sleeping on an actual mattress for once was an additional bonus.

The trio decided unanimously that it was best to get the magical ingredients and supplies first. That way in case anyone ran into them at the clothing stores they could have a story to cover their butts. Besides, with Laurent and Brady being so efficient in their fields, it didn’t take much time at all to get everything on Maribelle’s list. Severa really didn’t need to be there. Hm. Going out magic shopping with the ex-boyfriend probably appeared to be very suspicious.

They settled on a small clothing store on the edge of the market place. The only people they could risk running into were the ones that had set out to get the food supplies. Laurent was confident that Noire, Nah and Yarne weren’t in the market for new clothes so he hypothesized that they would be safe here.

“I dunno bout this” Brady seemed apprehensive, his robes were his comfort zone and he didn’t think that his body was that impressive. He was no warrior. He didn’t have a body like Owain. “Shouldn’t I just dress like myself?”

“You want to dress like the best version of yourself” Severa pushed him so he would be in front of a mirror. “Ugh can you stop slouching?” She hit her friend’s stomach with the back of her hand, forcing him to adjust his posture. “You’re tall. Own up to it”

Brady rubbed his stomach gingerly, a frown already forming on his face, “Ah ya didn’ have ta hit me!” He hated shopping. Even as a young boy...back when he had memories of going into town with his mother. She adored dressing him up. Heck she probably would get a kick out of it now. “Where do we even start?”

“What’s your favorite color?” Laurent had been busy touching each of the shirts. When he shopped for himself he would test which fabrics would be most comfortable, and which fabrics were really worth the dollar amount.

“Uh” Brady sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “Indigo” He wore a lot of black to try and compensate for that fact.

“Absolutely not” Severa frowned shaking her head, “Too gay” She lowered her voice so the owner of the shop wouldn’t hear her. Even if the Shepherds were seemingly more tolerant of all walks of life, that didn’t mean the locals and the townsfolk were. “No silk either, and don’t even think about anything open buttons” She pointed out, siding up to Laurent because he seemed to have more of a clue than their giant idiot. She loved Brady, but he was an idiot. “I can’t believe you were able to even talk to Chrom into letting us come to this village”

“Mm” Laurent simply nodded his head, “Logistically it made the most sense, and with the ambush we could use supplies. It’s better that we take extra precaution…” He spoke with a hint of a smile, “Call it a coincidence that it also solves Brady’s wardrobe predicament”

“Mhmm” Severa rose a brow a the other ginger, she could get used to hanging out with him, especially if it meant she could pull off more schemes. “What do you wear under your robes?”

Brady tilted his head in confusion, frowning at the implication, “Uh pants?” He spoke a little too loudly as the store manager had glanced up to the trio. “Regular man-pants? Is this a trick question?”

“How do you feel about leather pants?” Severa grinned, Laurent tilted his head to size Brady up, “I know you’ve been training with an axe for-oh-sometime. You have to have some sort of nice bod under these robes” She motioned down to her own leather pants, turning around in a circle on display, “Look how hot I look. I could have any man I wanted” Not that she wanted a man...though it didn’t seem to be helping her situation with Lucina.

“Tch, yeah, until you open your mouth” Brady commented, rolling his eyes, they were the founders of the Snark & Bark club for a reason. Laurent covered his mouth and turned his head away so he could cover the fact that he was chuckling. Severa narrowed her eyes and punched the taller boy square in the shoulder; making him yelp in pain.

Once he composed himself, Laurent spoke, hoping to take some heat off Brady; “She has a point. Leather isn’t a bad idea” He wasn’t particularly sure that Brady could feel comfortable in leather pants persay. “Cloth pants, loose long sleeved shirt, leather vest. Keep it simple.”

“Acceptable” Severa still would rather Brady wear the leather pants, but Laurent seemed confident enough so who was she to judge? Wow. Out of the trio Laurent had probably had the most experience dating. Now that was a weird thought. “You should spend more time with us”

“Thank you for the kind invitation” Laurent wasn’t sure if she was saying that to be nice or if she was genuine. He envied some of the bonds that the other children had formed with one another. Laurent spent so much time alone that he didn’t think it would happen. He had the reputation of being uptight, a fair assessment. It was fine. He enjoyed the company of books and of his mother. He actually had been thrilled that Brady sought him out to be his apprentice. Shopping with the two of them felt nice...like he belonged somewhere. It made convincing Chrom to let them stop much more worth it.

*****************************************************  
To say Owain was nervous about tonight was an understatement. Brady deserved the best first date he could muster and of course Owain put high expectations on himself. He wanted this to be a date that could be talked about for years to come. A super date. He wanted to be able to sweep his childhood friend off of his feet.

Owain spent a lot of his downtime in the village scoping out the best spot to take his...he wasn’t sure what Brady’s title would be. He needed to take him some place romantic, but also somewhere low-key. That was the goal anyway.

The prince was careful not to take Brady’s hand on the village streets...that sort of thing was frowned upon and he didn’t want anything or anybody ruin this for him. Owain had led him to a tavern at the edge of town, when he mentioned a password of sorts the pair were taken into a backroom where tables were set up each with a couple of dimly lit candles. A mood setter.

Brady observed the other couples that were inside this secret room. Some were same sex couples like themselves and others...a smile formed on Brady’s lips, he knew exactly what kind of place this was intended to be. “How’d you find out about this place?”

“I asked around” Owain seated himself across from the healer, his forehead crinkling in confusion. Was there something funny that he was missing? “Why do you ask?”

Brady motioned to a table behind Owain’s shoulder, a man and a woman...the man being someone his mother Maribelle wasn’t particularly fond of with someone who most certainly was not his wife. “It’s ah...where people come to have affairs”

Owain’s eyes shot wide open, oh no, “Do you want to leave?” He didn’t want to insult his friend, but the way Brady was laughing he didn’t seem to mind too much. “This isn’t funny! I wanted to take you somewhere romantic...not to a den of sin”

God his mother would be appalled by the way her son was laughing. Brady pounded his fist against his chest to try and calm himself down. Thankfully a server came by with a pitcher of water. “Ah thanks sorry. Sorry I’m fine” He looked across the table to Owain, he really wasn’t doing a good job of reassuring him, “I’m fine”

Owain wasn’t past pouting, he hadn’t been on many dates. War didn’t allow much time to pursue romantic relationships. That and Kjelle never accepted any of his invitations...he wasn’t able to meet her condition of beating her in a fight. “You think this is funny”

“That you didn’t know what this place was yeah, you’re a royal” Maybe it was because he was simply a noble that he knew more of the backgrounds of socialites. That and perhaps Maribelle was his mother. “...Hey. If this is the place we gotta go to have a meal together...I’m okay with that” Heck he was happy that he was even on a date. A real date. “ ‘Sides the candles are a nice touch” Brady motioned around, “Here I can hold yer hand without worryin’ about someone shoutin’ at me...I don’t have to worry about bein’ with another guy” It was much more romantic than the gay Tavern Severa had taken him to.

Owain smiled fondly at Brady, he never really saw this side of him before. Was it always there and he was just too blind to see it? He looked over the menu, “So ah…” Clearly he had never gone on a date with another man before, “....Do you enjoy wine?” He had no idea what was and wasn’t acceptable. Should he treat this like any other date? If Brady were a woman...that probably wasn’t the best way to be looking at this.

Clearly Owain had been spending a lot of time with Inigo. Inigo was the type to try and woo women during a courting date by ordering whole bottles of wine. “Nah” He shook his head, “How bout a pitcher of ale?”

Owain let out a breath of relief, “Yes that sounds like a good idea” How was he the nervous one? “What do you think looks good?”

“Well nothin’s gonna compare to Gamecock’s chicken so….” He trailed off, his eyes squinting to read the menu in the dim candlelight. Brady hadn’t even bothered to glance up, if he had he would’ve seen Owain’s still confused expression. “I dunno maybe beef. I never trust seafood when we’re not near a port ya know? ...What?”

“Did you say Gamecocks?” Owain sent Brady an expectant look, wanting him to explain what in the world that was.

“Ah yeah it’s” He rubbed the back of his neck, “See Severa was tryin’ to get me to be more open with myself and uh she took me to this Tavern where the clientele were all” What was the nicest way of saying it, “Men seeking the company of other men”

Owain wanted to know more about that...what it was like for Brady to come to terms with not only his love but trying to find acceptance in himself. But the server had come back so he placed an order for the table. Two steaks and a pitcher of ale. This had to be the heartiest date he had ever gone on. “...I’m sorry I wasn’t a good friend...that must have been a troubling time for you”

“Nah” There were a couple of rolls on the table in a bowl, Brady helped himself at tearing one apart, “Don’t be so hard on yourself” He popped a piece of bread into his mouth, “My feelin’s for ya probably woulda gotten in the way” Talking with his mouth open, he was super classy.

Owain supposed that was true, “...Who all knows?” He asked curiously, secrets weren’t easy to keep amongst the Shepherds, “About all of this?”

“People know different uh levels” Brady wasn’t sure how to explain this to him, “Severa and Laurent know everythin’.” He wasn’t about go to go into detail on how much they were involved in getting him ready for the evening. That would’ve been embarrassing. “My Ma knows...I told her...she uh actually was the one who encouraged me ta tell ya”

“......She” Owain didn’t want to sound insulting or rude but he was honestly surprised that Maribelle was accepting of her son’s orientation let alone encouraging him to act on his feelings. “Really? Ah your mother just seems so….” Brady’s brow furrowed, “....Uptight?”

“You’d be surprised” Brady was definitely not going to let Owain know about his mother’s tryst with Lissa. At least that was not talk of a first date. That and it still even shocked him that his mother had been with another woman in a biblical sense. “I think that’s what did it for me. Knowin’ that she loves me no matter what….gave me the confidence I need ta ah...be me”

“It does wonders for you” Owain had been interrupted by the arrival of their ale. He thanked the server kindly and poured them both a glass. “You’re much braver than me” Owain didn’t tell anyone that he was going to be going out with Brady on a date. This was so new to him. “I couldn’t imagine telling my parents that I was going out on a date with you”

“Ahhh” Well Brady had an inkling that Lissa would be more accepting...Frederick was more of a wildcard. That was an intimidating man. “You don’t gotta tell ‘em a thing until you’re ready. This” He motioned between them, “Is us” He grinned, needing to take Owain’s mood off of coming out, “Even if we gotta go to a den of...what was it? Sin”

Owain laughed at his words coming back to him, “Well next time you figure out the date”

“Oh” Brady smirked, “Already wanting a second date?”

“If you play your cards right tonight” Owain grinned in response, feeling confident enough to playfully wink. He didn’t expect that this would be so easy for him. Courting women had always been different for him. He would always try to overcompensate, to be flashy and daring, to have Inigo has a wingman. It was never genuine, it was never him, but an act. With Brady he could feel the difference. He could be himself and trust that Brady would be there.

He thought, at first, it was just because they had a history together. That they were friends since childhood so of course they would be comfortable around one another. Owain started to see Brady in a different light-candlelight. He never noticed the way Brady’s face lit up when he smiled...truely smiled at something, someone, him.

Owain had always been used to the insecure noble with bad speech. When they were kids Brady would always be a couple steps behind Owain’s light. The big softie who could get emotional over someone stepping on a flower...he’s come a long way. Perhaps he had Severa to thank for that. What an odd thought.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly, Owain thought, the pair of men laughed over old stories as well as Inigo’s failed attempts to try and get with a woman. They avoided topics such as the ongoing war, what would happen when this was all over and Owain’s father. Owain hadn’t smiled this much in some time.

The sun had gone down while the men were having their date. It seemed as if the whole village had gone to sleep. Few people were walking outside trying to get to their homes. It gave Owain the confidence he needed to reach down and hold his companion’s hand. All they had left was the walk back to the inn and he wanted this to end perfectly. “Not a cloud in the sky, it’s beautiful up there”

Brady tilted his head up to see what he was talking about, “I always loved lookin’ up at the stars” The taller man smiled fondly, “Before we reunited...I ah always felt like my ma was watchin’ after me. Didn’t make me feel so alone” He felt Owain’s hand squeeze his tighter, “I’m alright...comin’ back to the past gave us all a second chance”

“Well, my tall handsome friend, I’m going to make sure you never feel alone again” Owain didn’t break apart their physical contact, even when they entered the inn. He knew what was coming next. So the date wasn’t perfect, but he was going to end it on the best note possible. A goodnight kiss. The goodnight kiss of goodnight kisses.

Owain escorted Brady to the room the other man had been sharing with Yarne. “So…here we are” Owain wasn’t letting go of Brady’s hand, he was stalling. “I had an amazing night with you tonight”

Brady nodded, “I uh, I really hope we can go out again…” Maybe next time, if there was a next time, Brady would be able to cook a meal for Owain. Now those were his strengths. Then they wouldn’t have to worry about finding something underground.

Owain turned to Brady, this was it, this was going to be the magical moment just…...he did not compensate for Brady’s height. Owain was used to women, partners who were shorter then him. Oh had he mastered the lean down and kiss. Lean up? Was that sexy? He would have to go on instincts. He brought a hand behind Brady’s neck and started to pull him down, leaning up to meet him halfway. And that was when he pressed his lips against the other man’s.

Brady had been the one that surprised the prince, he wrapped his arms around Owain to hold him in an embrace. He never thought that he would ever have a moment like this. To kiss the man he had been in love with for so long….it still felt like it was a dream. He wasn’t going to let that go. Not yet.

It was Owain that pulled away from the kiss, keeping close, his fingers playing with Brady’s hair, “Wow...that…” Where did Brady learn how to kiss? “Do I really have to say goodnight?”

Brady laughed chancing to give him a quick peck on the lips, “We gotta meet up with the camp tomorrow…”

Owain groaned dramatically leaning forward to rest his forehead on Brady’s chest, “Oh damn those responsibilities!” He had been pretty good about holding back his theatrical responses to things but he couldn’t resist.

Owain could feel Brady’s chest move underneath his head from laughing, “You’re sucha dork”

The prince pulled away from the embrace, “Goodnight Brady” He leaned up, god he was going to have to get used to that, to give him one more kiss; before he needed to physically turn himself away so he could return to his own room.

Brady watched as his prince walked away...well...walked down the hallway into his room. Smitten he entered his own room, once the door closed behind it he rested his back against it and sighed. This wasn’t a dream.

***********************************************************************  
Severa was going to confront Lucina tonight. Oh she spent all day trying to come up with what she was even going to say to the other woman. The warrior knocked on the door excessively until her princess opened the door. Severa was mad, she bumped Lucina’s shoulder to enter the room. “Lock that behind you we need to talk” She was not going to be shut out a second time.

“Yes, please, come in” Lucina sighed, knowing that it probably wasn’t the best to be sarcastic about it. She did as she was told and closed the door, locking it behind her. “I apologize for what happened earlier”

“For what? Not being at the medic bay when I woke up or blatantly refusing to talk to me later? What was that?” Severa folded her arms, tapping her foot against the wood flooring, “Well?”

Lucina stepped further into the room so she wouldn’t be standing at the door. She kept a couple of feet between her and Severa, “As for the morning...Maribelle woke me before your mother arrived. Do you really think it would have been wise to have her see me cuddled up in bed next to you?”

Well….okay that made sense. Severa couldn’t be mad at that, “...And when you blatantly disregarded me?”

“That was rude of me” Lucina knew she was in the wrong, “I wanted some more time to process” When the redhead sent her a look of bewilderment she continued, “I’m in love with you”

“Yeah, yeah we went over that last night” Severa sighed, she shook her head looking down to the ground, she had to let go of this anger and let her speak. “I love you and you love me. Next?”

“Severa…” Gods this girl was so stubborn, “...It’s not that easy…”

“You know what’s not easy?” Severa took a step forward, her eyes narrowed, Lucina had never seen such passion in the other girl’s eyes. She almost preferred to speak with Severa when she was recovering from poison. “Carrying this torch for you, terrified that you wouldn’t want anything to do with me. I never thought you could ever feel the same way I do, or that anything between us could even be possible. But here you are saying that you love me and what…? What Lucina? What am I not understanding? Because I swear if it’s about me dying….”

“Are you going to let me get a word in?” Lucina stepped forward, meeting Severa in the center of the room, “All I’ve wanted to do is kiss you, to have you at my side...I’ve wanted to put my feelings aside. To be the princess that my people deserve. I have the weight of our futures on my shoulders and...I thought that if I fell in love...if I succumbed to my feelings that I would be open to weakness”

“So screw it!” Severa shook her head, it was becoming much harder to hold back, “Lucina we should be dead, and look at us! We’ve made it this far, we’ve made it this long. But does our life have to constantly be about suffering? I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, or the day after that, or heck when we save the whole freaking world….but we are spending way too much time doing what?” She motioned between them, “Dancing around our feelings? When do we get to live...when can we be happy? What do I have to do?”

Lucina reached forward, caressing Severa’s cheek, “....I believe you’re right” She stroked her thumb along smooth skin, “I think it’s time we stop talking” Lucina didn’t give the other woman a chance to respond. Now was the time for action...she closed the gap and pressed her lips against hers. Lucina had been holding back for too long and it was too hard to keep holding back.

Severa returned the kiss passionately, deepening it by wrapping her arms around the taller girl’s neck. The two had spent so much time in their heads that they couldn’t ever act on what they really and truly wanted. Lucina didn’t waste any time. She lifted Severa up by the thighs, the ginger girl responded by wrapping her legs around Lucina’s torso. Lucina carried Severa to the closest twin bed, the kiss parting so Lucina could lay Severa onto the bed.

“Ugh these beds are so small” Severa complained, but was quickly silenced by Lucina’s lips as she positioned herself over the warrior, straddling her hips. It was true the beds at the inn weren’t ideal to...well do much of anything in but that wasn’t going to stop Lucina from trying.

Lucina broke apart from the kiss and moved to make work of Severa’s neck. The princess grinned between love bites, her hand tracing along Severa’s thigh, enticing a gasp from the girl beneath her. For not having much experience, Lucina seemed to think that she was doing alright, Severa seemed to be enjoying herself.

Their moment was cut short when they heard banging on the door followed by Cynthia’s voice. “Lucina! How come the door is locked?”

“Go away Cynthia!” Lucina groaned, burying her head in the crook of her neck. As much as Lucina wished for a regular life, a little sister interrupting her finally having a moment was not on the list of things she’d like.

There was a long pause, “........Do you have a boy in there? Is it Gerome?”

Severa grumbled under her breath, “Are you freaking kidding me?”

Lucina lifted her head so she could shout better, “No! It’s just Severa” She wasn’t about to lie, she mouthed a sorry to the girl under her. “Stop pouting” She knew Severa well, getting up she went to answer the door. “Cynthia, my apologies I didn't realize the door locked behind us”

“Yeah that’s fine I…” Cynthia looked to the redhead’s neck and gasped, “Oh my god! What happened to your neck? It’s all red”

“My….what?” Severa’s eyes widened, she instantly turned to a mirror, putting a hand to the mark Lucina had left several minutes ago. Oh she could have killed her.

Lucina moved a hand to her mouth to hide any hint of a smile. “Cynthia, why don’t we do a room swap? Hm? You and Severa can trade so you can share a room with Morgan”

Cynthia looked from Lucina to Severa and back, still a bit confused, “You guys are friends again?”

“Mhmm and we need a bunch of time to do some catching up” Severa took Cynthia by her shoulders, starting to push her towards the door, “Beat it twerp”

“Have fun with Morgan” When the door shut behind her sister, Lucina had given Severa a look, “You didn’t have to be so rude with her”

Severa pointed a finger at Lucina, “You don’t get to talk...Look. At. My. Neck”

“....You seemed to enjoy it?” Lucina didn’t have much of a defense. She stepped forward to wrap her arms around Severa’s waist, “...Shall we continue where we left off?”

“Oh I’ll get you back” Severa smirked, there was no way she was going to let Lucina have all the control, “But first...we’re pushing these stupid beds together”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...so this got way more serious then I was expecting it to.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy :D

After his amazing first date with Owain, Brady had been leaned up against the door of his hotel room. He had never really been on a date before...a real one. The fake ones with Severa didn’t count, even if he paid for everything, he really didn’t think that bit through. He could feel it, this was real, finally things were going his way. Brady would have to stop at the market the next morning before they returned so he could get some ingredients and supplies. He wanted to impress Owain for a second date so badly and like his mother always said “The quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. Not that she said it to him. As a child he always just happened to be in the room when she had her girlfriends over. It had just been sound advice that had stuck with him all of these years later.

“.....Uh…….what was that?” At the sound of someone else’s voice, Brady’s eyes shot open to see that Yarne had been sitting up in his bed, shit he must have heard everything. “Was that Owain? You were…were you?” He flinched when Brady moved from the door to step further into the room, “Don’t hit me!”

Brady stopped his movements when he saw his roommate for the night flinch “Huh? I ain’t gonna...look I didn’t appreciate ya spillin that rumor that Severa and I...” He grimaced at the thought. Not that Severa wasn’t lovely! She was his best friend...but the thought of having sex with her creeped him out. He was pretty sure Robin still hated him, Cordelia too for that matter. “That’s in the past” He squared his shoulders, “But Yarne ya gotta keep this on the down low. Seriously. This ain’t yer secret ta tell”

“I am really sorry about that” Yarne laughed nervously, he was honestly more intimidated by Severa than Brady, “I uh I get it...sure, sure” He relaxed more when Brady sat on his own bed...on the other side of the room. “I won’t tell anyone about this I promise”

“Good. Cause I don’t want Owain’s parents...” He sighed, mostly he was concerned about Frederick finding out about this through the grapevine, “He’s gotta be the one to tell ‘em”

Yarne understood the importance of self preservation. As one of the last remaining of his species he had plenty of experience. “How about this? I tell you a secret of my own...and then we’ll be even” He offered the olive branch. A secret for a secret, that seemed to be the fairest way to handle this. 

“Uhhhhhh” Brady wasn’t sure how more secrets could be beneficial but if this would keep Yarne in check he’d be okay with it. “Sure, alright, deal” 

“IwanttoproposetoNoire” Yarne said as quickly as possible. He had been holding onto this secret for a long time. Normally he told all of his thoughts and insecurities to the archer but since this one had to do with her directly he had no one really to tell or talk about. So this was a good opportunity to finally be able to get something off of his chest. 

Brady blinked, “What?”

Yarne sighed loudly, resting his head back onto the wood of the headboard behind him, looking up to the ceiling he repeated slower, “I want to propose to Noire”

“Oh! Awh!” His face lit up in excitement when he processed the words. He knew the rumors. People in the group were always curious which couple would propose first….it sure as hell wasn’t gonna be Brady to Severa. Oh a wedding sounded great...dancing...food...celebration of love, all of that fun jazz. “That’s really great” Was he the first person he told? Shit. “Ah, do ya know how you’re gunna do it?”

Yarne laughed nervously, he did that a lot, “Well-no here’s the thing. Do I ask Tharja’s permission?” Noire’s father didn’t intimidate him, no, it was her mother that scared the fur off of him. “Cause lose, lose right? I ask her and she says no and curses me or whatever else she does to people she doesn’t like….or I don’t ask her and do it- then she gets mad and curses me or whatever else she does to people who go around asking her daughter’s hand behind her back” Oh maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Yarne frowned, “This would’ve been easier in the future” When he realized what that meant he quickly turned his head to look at his roommate for the night, “I didn’t mean it like that”

“I know, I know. Believe you me...she’s a scary broad” He certainly would never want to cross paths with her. “I think askin’ her’d go a long way” Brady wasn’t sure he was really the best person to give advice but it couldn’t be that hard. “Ya love ‘er right? That’s all that matters at the end of the day”

“I do…” He nervously scratched behind his ear, Noire was going to be worth it, “I’ll ask her tomorrow, yeah, when we return to camp. I’m going to go right up to her and say this” Yarne puffed out his chest, a raised chest showed confidence, “Tharja, ma’am, I love your daughter and I would like to ask your permission to take her hand in marriage”

Brady cringed, “Ah, no, don’t call ‘er ma’am. Lose the ma’am” He shook his head, “We’re in the past, our parents are young they don’t wanna be called ma’am” Brady then cleared his throat and tried change his voice to match Tharja’s pitch, “Absolutely not. I hate you and will ah damn your soul to the depths of the ocean!”

Yarne laughed, at both Brady’s attempt to do a feminine voice and his strange Tharja impression. “The ocean?”

“Ya don’ think the scariest of monsters come from the ocean?” Brady wasn’t the best at improv or coming up with anything on his feet. He sure thought it was scary enough. “Look man...you just gotta speak from the heart. Okay? Don’t let her bully you. ‘Sides it’s probably just gonna be a test ta see if yer worthy.” Like parents do, “Stand yer ground. I know it’s rough, but she’s worth it. In the end that’s all that matters”

To Yarne, Noire was worth going extinct over...which may happen after a conversation with her mother. “What about you?” Yarne was probably the first person that found out about Brady and Owain. Wow that was still a shock to him, “Are you worried about your parents?”

“Nah” Maribelle had been nothing but supportive of him, he was lucky, all of that worrying about his mom disowning him flew out the window. “It ain’t my parent’s that I’m worried about”

“...Frederick?” Yarne knew there was no way Lissa could make a grown man nervous. There wasn’t an unkind bone in her body. “Yeah I don’t blame you”

“Right now I’m just enjoyin’ what I’ve got. We’ll cross that bridge when we get ta it” Despite being perfectly happy in his Owain bubble, he knew that their secret bliss would probably be cut short. Owain had never been the one to be able to keep secrets for very long. All he could do right now is be supportive. “Now don’t worry ‘bout me. Tomorrow yer gonna get engaged”

“Ha yeah....If I don’t get murdered first”

*********************************************************************************

The next morning Severa gingerly opened her eyes, lifting her head from Lucina’s chest, surprised to see that the other woman had already been awake. “...How long have you been up?” Their night before didn’t consist of much talking. Once they decided to push the beds together they continued where they left off. Passionate kisses, both women trying to convey what feelings they had been holding back for so long. Though much to Severa’s chagrin, Lucina stopped it before it could get too far too fast- what a goody good...her virtues were annoyingly charming. 

“Not very long” Lucina had been holding Severa all night, the two too exhausted to move in their sleep. She softly smiled, aimlessly tracing circles along her back, Lucina enjoyed the idea of a quiet morning with her loved one in her arms. “Perhaps you should start sleeping in my tent, this could be our every morning” 

Severa didn’t think about her sleeping arrangements. When she had been pretending to date Brady she normally joined him in his tent and slept in a different bedroll. Her parents were actually pretty okay with that, as a monk he swore chastity until marriage. At least that’s what they told everyone. Severa wasn’t actually sure if that was true. “My that’s awfully forward” The shorter girl leaned forward to peck a kiss onto her princess’ lips, “...Do you really mean that?”

“I do” Waking up early meant that Lucina could reflect on their previous night...not just on the memory of touching Severa’s breasts for the first time but the points she had been making before. “I thought about what you’ve said” Severa moved to sit up, it seemed important enough to give her the full attention, “About how foolish we’ve been. Hiding from each other...I think we’ve been suffering for so long that we forgot what happiness feels like” Lucina reached forward to touch Severa’s arm, of course she had to sit further away for this, “So yes, I propose that you stay in my tent so we can be together. I want to be with you. Our road ahead won’t be easy, there will be battles ahead. You may get hurt again” Severa rose a brow, “I may also get injured, there’s no telling what our future will bring but I want to spend every night with you by my side as my lover”

Gawds Lucina was such a dork with her inspirational speeches, who could say no to that? Severa swung a leg over Lucina’s hips so she could straddle her, “Yes of course I’ll stay in your bedroll” She leaned forward to kiss her, this time intending for it to last longer than just a peck. This was perfect. Lucina’s idea was completely genius, they could do this every night and no one would think anything of the two women staying together. 

Lucina returned the kiss, happy that Severa accepted her idea, Grima couldn’t take away this happiness that she felt being with her. With Severa still close, Lucina brought a hand to the side of her face and pulled back. Her thumb grazed along her cheek, “That’s also why I want to tell our parents about us”

Severa reeled back from Lucina’s hand, taking in a sharp breath, “Why? Why would you ruin this moment?” She groaned loudly tilting her head up to the ceiling. The last thing she wanted to do was tell her mother.

“I don’t want to hide in the shadows” Lucina looked up to the woman currently straddling her, she would prefer if they went back to the kissing, but clearly this had to come first. “I want to be able to hold your hand or kiss you in public...what’s wrong with that?”

“You’re a princess expected to get married and have babies to continue on the royal line” Severa stated a matter of factly, folding her arms, “Even if there was a gay royal in the past, it wasn’t in the history books….duty always came first. Isn’t that your big thing? Being the perfect little princess?” This was one of the big reasons Severa didn’t even want to tell her about her feelings in the first place. Telling their parents was just going to make them shut this relationship down quick. “They won’t understand, they’ll try to break us apart”

“To what kingdom?” Lucina tilted her head, “I’m but a baby here, you haven’t even been conceived” Severa made a face at the idea of her parents having sex, even if it meant her creation, “I’m only a princess to the people here in this camp. What kind of royal do I want to be? I want to be the one setting right kind of example. We shouldn’t have to live in fear because of who we love”

The Princess wanted to return to their world once this was all over, if they even could, to rally up and do the repairs that had been left in Grima’s wake. The Kingdom had been broken and someone strong needed to put all of the pieces back together. With Severa at her side and the rest of the Shepherd’s children behind her she was confident that she could change the future. What the future needed was love. It shouldn’t matter the source. 

“We could tell our parents together” Lucina suggested, “For a dinner...that way we could just get it off of our chests. No more hiding. We can be what we’re meant to be”

“Ugh ugh ugh ugh” Despite her groans and complains Severa couldn’t help the small smile creeping on her face, “It’s really hard to say no to you, you know that?”

“Is that so?” Lucina was glad she seemed to be on board. It wasn’t in Lucina’s heart to lie to her parents, or anyone, about something like this. She sat herself up so she could be more at her girlfriend’s level, Severa still in her lap, “Kiss me?”

A smirk creeped onto the warrior’s face as she leaned forward, her lips inches away from her love’s. She reeled back once she was close enough to see Lucina wet her lips in anticipation. Without a second thought she got up off of her and started to pick up her discarded clothes. “Ha not a chance. If you’re making me come out to my mother today...you’re not getting any of this” She motioned to herself, doing a turn to show off her body, she knew she had a good butt. “Until you earn it”

Lucina pouted, resting her back against the wood of the headboard, “That was uncalled for”

“Oh puh-lease do not give me that look. I invented the pout” 

*****************************************************************

When the company reunited with the Shepherds, Lucina had gone straight to find her mother Sumia. She was confident that she would have the love and support of her family, there wasn’t doubt in her mind. The great Chrom was a kind legend, he accepted anyone in his group despite their backgrounds to work at a common goal. That was the kind of leadership she aspired to. Robin and Cordelia, their best friends, must feel the same way. Either way, no matter what would happen tonight she would be as supportive as possible to Severa. It wasn’t a secret that she had a mother complex and high levels of insecurity. 

“Mother, I’m glad to have found you” Lucina greeted with a smile, she loved being able to speak with her mother so freely again. “I need to ask for a favor”

“Oh sure, what is it?” Sumia hadn’t been a mother for very long but she was able to see some of Lucina’s tells, “Is something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing’s wrong” In fact everything felt right for a change, “I was hoping to have a family dinner tonight. A private one” It wasn’t that they did it very often, “Father, Cynthia...it would be like old times. We could even invite Robin’s family”

“That sounds like a lovely idea” Sumia didn’t have many opportunities to cook for smaller groups, especially one so intimate. “I’ll speak with Lissa as well”

Oh no, “Lissa?”

“Surely you didn’t expect to have a family dinner without your Aunt and Uncle?” Sumia embraced her daughter in a hug, “Leave everything to me, this will be lovely, what a wonderful idea” 

So there would be a couple of extra people at this dinner, that was fine, that shouldn’t affect her plan too much. 

********************************************************************

To say that Severa was nervous about this dinner from hell was an understatement. She had been spending most of her day taking out her frustrations slashing a tree with her sword. It was practice technique. She couldn’t even find Brady today to spill her guts about it. When she asked she heard through the grapevine that he was helping Yarne with a ‘personal project’ tch, whatever.

Once she was done practicing she spent the rest of her afternoon trying to figure out what she could wear. Not she had many garments to choose from...but if she was going to come out as the princess’ lover she needed to be presentable. Lucina suggested something brightly colored with, what Severa would call, an obnoxious pattern. She loved the girl dearly but wow did she have absolutely no fashion sense.

“Is everything alright?” Morgan’s voice startled Severa, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you...you just seem really tense today” She struggled with her memories, but she spent enough time with her older sister to know when something was bothering her. This would just have to be included in new memories. “You probably shouldn’t be exerting yourself after being so severely poisoned” 

“Oh Morgan” She turned to her sister, throwing a shirt onto the bedroll, “Family dinners stress me out” Not that she had been a part of one for years. “I know you don’t remember, consider yourself lucky”

“I don’t think they would be that bad” Morgan walked over to the tossed aside garments, picking one up and putting it to her sister’s front, shaking her head when she didn’t like it and tossing it aside again. “This is something more than that. Is it Brady? I know you guys were close”

“It’s Lucina” Severa shook her head, she wasn’t lying at that, “She’s the one that wants to do this and make a big deal out of it” She let out a breath, maybe this would be good practice. “I need to tell someone this”

“Okay, um, do I need to sit?” She motioned to her bedroll, “Do you need to sit?”

“No. No one needs to sit, stop!” She snapped, holding the bridge of her nose, “No I’m sorry. I just, ugh, okay” Everyone just assumed, it wasn’t easy to say it out loud, “Lucina and I are involved, romantically, and she wants to tell everyone tonight”

“Oh...I see…” Morgan wasn’t sure how to take that news, she wasn’t even sure where her sisterhood stood. She decided to risk it anyway by wrapping her arms around her older sister in her hug. “And you’re scared of how mother will react”

Severa let out a shaky breath, hating to feel this vulnerable, she was relieved that she was able to tell someone in her family without it blowing up in her face. “I don’t want to disappoint her Morgan... I just got her back, and now if she knows about this? I’m never going to be good enough and all of my outfits are stupid”

Morgan rubbed circles into her back, trying to do her best to comfort her, “You could never disappoint her” Cordelia had been so nice to her, Morgan knew that all she wanted to do was connect with her daughters. Maybe breaking down is what Severa needed to get herself back. “I will be right there with you” She pulled away from the hug so Severa could see her smile, that was until she noticed something. “Oh my god what happened to your neck?” She moved her hand to move her sisters collar. 

“....I’m going to kill her….” Severa shook her head, she had hoped that no one would notice or better scenario, that the marks would go away all together. “Chrom and Sumia can’t see this” She brought a hand to her forehead, “Mom and Dad can’t see this either”

“You could wear a scarf?” Morgan suggested, going through her things. When she and Severa would go sister shopping with their father’s money scarves were something they picked up plenty of. Morgan insisted on multiple colors, “This one’s pretty”

“That is tacky” She huffed, taking the scarf anyway and tying it around her neck to cover up any of the red marks Lucina had left on her neck the previous night. “It’ll have to do” Severa looked to her younger sister, “If I die today, you do not bury me in this scarf”

*****************************************************************

Owain wasn’t sure what to expect when his mother excitedly told him that there would be a family dinner with Chrom and Robin’s families. He was disappointed that he couldn’t spend this night with Brady...apparently his boyfriend was going to cook for him. Though this could be interesting, a true royal dinner. It felt nostalgic in a way. 

“This was such a great idea Lucina” Owain greeted his cousin with a hug, oblivious to the fact that she and Severa were in their own little conversation. “Oh Severa, nice scarf”

The prince wasn’t sure what he said that was so offensive, but Severa glared at the woman beside her, huffing, “It’s stupid, this whole thing is stupid”

“I think it’s fun” Cynthia came over to the other groups, Morgan at her side, “Mom let me help cook everything, you’re going to love it” She seemed to be oblivious to why Severa seemed on edge, “Hope you like boar”

“Oh be still my heart!” Owain closed his eyes, placing a hand on his chest, he was spoiled to get two great meals in a row. What could he say? He thought with his stomach. “You know me so well”

“What that you’re pig-headed?” Severa bit back, she couldn’t help it, when she felt cornered like this she tended to snap more than usual at others. Her comment received a rightful glare from Lucina and Morgan, “Sorry”

Chrom came over to the group, a smile on his face. He personally had been excited at the invitation, for him it was a nice change of pace from the constant grim reminder of war. Of course he loved all of the Shepherds and anyone who chose to lay down their life for the good of their cause, but these people. His sister married his oldest friend, Robin his best friend and his wife and to top everything off their children of the future. Beautiful, strong daughters and a strapping young man in Owain. This is why he fought so strongly, for family. 

“Come! Let’s sit” He guided the young kids into their makeshift dining room. Robin, Chrom and Frederick had taken the maps off of their war-table and set up chairs around it. It wasn’t the nicest, but they would made do. 

Chrom sat himself at the head of the table, to the right of him sat his beautiful wife Sumia, then their youngest daughter Cynthia, Lucina, his nephew Owain had been seated next to her. Frederick sat across from Chrom at the other side. Frederick’s other side sat his wife Lissa, Severa sat across from Lucina, Morgan acted as the buffer between Severa and Cordelia while Robin sat next to his wife and beside Chrom. 

“I would like to make a toast” Robin stood, raising a wine glass, “To family and friends. I’m happy to be able to have friends who were so gracious to take me in. Chrom, my best friend. It’s a privilege to know you and fight by your side. If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have even met the love of my life” He rested a hand on Cordelia’s shoulder, “And I want to thank Sumia and Cynthia for preparing this wonderful food. This all looks immaculate” Robin smiled, “I’m happy to call you all my family, cheers”

The dinner had gone smoothly, the boar Sumia and Cynthia prepared naturally had been seasoned to perfection. Sumia also made sure that the men of the table would stop talking about the war and their next strategy. They could do that in the morning, this was about family time. That still didn’t stop Owain from boasting about his favorite blades. Even Cordelia chimed in with what it’s like to throw a javelin and that she would teach him if he was interested. 

Lucina had been studying the way the conversation had been going, waiting for an opportunity for her to make her announcement. Severa remained mostly quiet for the ordeal, Lucina would have to try making it up to her tonight once this was all done. “I would actually like to make an announcement” Lucina rose to her feet, this was Severa’s cue to drink the rest of the wine in her glass. Rousing battle speeches were much easier than this. No matter. “I invited you all, my closest family, to tell you of a recent development” 

She swallowed the lump in her throat when she turned her head to look at her father, “That I’m in love” Chrom’s eyebrows furrowed, he seemed confused at who could have possibly stolen her heart under his nose. Sumia, a romantic at heart, only smiled at her warmly. “Severa is my lover”

Severa drank prematurely. With all of the eyes on her she reached for Morgan’s glass next to her. There was not enough alcohol in the world. No one had said a word...they were all probably taking the moment to process what Lucina had even said. 

Since Chrom had been seated at the head of the table he was able to see everyone’s expression. Cynthia’s mouth hung agape, which wasn’t the most appealing as she had been chewing at the time of the confession. Morgan didn’t seem to be too phased, she must have already known. Chrom noticed that she had her hand under the table, most likely holding her sister’s hand. Owain appeared to be dumbfounded and Lissa...well...she appeared to be uneasy. Cordelia had a sip of her wine, oh, there had to be some irony in all of this. Sumia reached over to close Cynthia’s jaw before it froze that way.

Chrom didn’t want to be the parent that his own child was too afraid to come to, he simply smiled and patted his best friend Robin on the back, “It looks like our paths crossing was destined for yet another reason” He laughed, “I never would have expected our daughters to have fallen in love”

Robin would have to say he was relieved, if he had to compare the two love interests for Severa….he felt safer with her being in Lucina’s hands. “Now, I said the same thing to Brady. But if you hurt my daughter...I can’t stop my wife from coming after you” That earned a laugh from Cordelia. Did he really use her as a threat?

“I have no intentions of hurting your daughter” Lucina’s expression softened, looking across the table to her girlfriend, “...She’s very dear to me” She sat back down in her seat, smiling fondly. See? There was nothing she needed to worry about. 

“I’m sorry I need to ask” Sumia spoke up, proud of her husband for taking this sort of news so well, “Didn’t you just get out of a relationship with Brady?” She didn’t understand the timeline of these sort of events. It seemed all too soon that her daughter could convince her love to a girl who had just gotten out of a romantic relationship.

Severa looked to the bottom the glass, damn she could use a refill on this pronto. “My relationship with Brady wasn’t real” She looked to Owain, the boy watching her carefully, “I faked it” She couldn’t throw Brady under the horse. She didn’t know how open he wanted to be with his relationship. This was all her idea anyway, she just never expected that it would catch up to her here. At this grand table. “I didn’t think Lucina could ever return my feelings...I didn’t want anyone to ever know I prefer women so it was my idea to pretend to be with a man” Cats out of the bag now. She looked to Sumia, she could understand why Lucina’s mom would be concerned. She wasn’t exactly the best person to bring home, so she was going to have to try. “She’s my everything”

Owain cleared his throat and stood up, his own wine glass in hand. He had been inspired by their confessions, that he too could have the confidence to tell his loved ones about his relationship with Brady. “I would also like to make an announcement” 

Lucina wasn’t expecting this, she looked to Severa who could only stare at him with wide eyes. But hey any attention that would be off of her coming out was welcomed. It still concerned her that her mother still hadn’t said anything on the subject. She didn’t get a chance to. 

Owain cleared his throat, “I want to say I commend Lucina for her bravery. It warms my heart that our family remains true to our own. That we love and can be loved unconditionally” He nodded to his Uncle Chrom, he respected the man for being so kind to his daughters. “I have learned about love from a multitude of places...stories of the past, my family, the bonds of friendship” Owain couldn’t resist a good speech, it must run in the family, “I want to say that I’m starting to understand what that all means”

Chrom could guess that this was a similar revelation to his daughter’s...all he could do is watch Frederick in front of him. The royal knight watched his son carefully, his jaw clenched...while Lissa couldn’t even look at him. She seemed too in her head for some reason. 

“I’ve started courting Brady and I can honestly say, I’ve never been happier...I think this is going to go somewhere great” Owain looked to Lucina and nodded, she wasn’t going to be alone in this. He then glanced to his parents, surely they would be just fine with this. “...Mother? Father?”

Frederick set his silverware down on the table, folding his napkin politely, he had been blindsided by both of these confessions. He didn’t know how to process, and with everyone looking at him...judging him...waiting for his next words. He couldn’t handle this sort of emotional pressure so he simply stood. “Sumia, dinner was lovely. I’m afraid I have to take my leave”

“Frederick” Chrom tried to stop his friend, standing up as well, giving him a stern look, “Stay”

“My apologies m’lord” The great knight patted his son’s shoulder before turning on his heel and heading out of the tent. He needed some air, being in that tent felt suffocating. 

“Owain….” Lissa stood, having finally snapped out of her own thoughts, “He just...he’ll be okay. He doesn’t really do well with surprises” She bit the corner of her lip, no this was all wrong. It was supposed to be a happy family occasion…”Let me talk to him”

“No mother” Owain shook his head, upset, was Frederick really that upset with the idea of him and another man? No he wanted to get to the bottom of this. He wasn’t going to let his father walk away from him. He downed the rest of his wine and quickly darted off after his father. Leaving a very uncomfortable dinner party. 

Lissa wasn’t sure what to do so she sat back down in her seat, “I’m so sorry” This was all hitting her too hard. Like an elthunder blast right to the chest. It was only a year or so ago when she was in the midst of her own sapphic affair with Maribelle. A secret she swore would never surface. She didn’t have Lucina’s courage. A princess without the royal brand interested in a noblewoman...It was unheard of. She couldn’t risk it….no matter how she felt. It was why things had to end. From a status perspective she understood exactly what was going through Frederick’s head. He’s a good man and a good father but….a bit of a traditionalist at heart. 

“I’m so so sorry…” Lissa sniffed, fighting any sort of tears from falling, “This was such a lovely dinner” No she couldn’t handle this. “I should…go...” She didn’t say another word, she needed to take a walk and clear her head, so she also exited the tent.

Severa’s leg brushed up against Lucina’s under the table so she could get her attention. She didn’t want to a word, just give her any sort of reassuring smile. This wasn’t her fault. No one could have predicted that...though it was a reason staying inside the closet seemed reasonable to her. 

Sumia, the gracious guest was the first to speak, “I made a dessert….Lucina if you could help me” She touched her daughter’s shoulder as she walked by. They could use something sweet to distract themselves from their friends awkwardness. 

Once the mother daughter combo had left the room, Chrom looked to his youngest daughter, “Do you have a surprise confession you’d like to share?”

Robin picked up on his best friends line of questioning and looked past his wife and Severa to Morgan, “Morgan?”

“What?” Cynthia took a moment but when she understood what they were getting at her eyes widened to the size of saucers, “Oh no! Morgan and I are just best friends...she’s like a sister to me”

“Sorry to disappoint” Morgan couldn’t help but smile at the accusation, it was a very odd night. 

Cordelia sighed, looking off to the end of the table. Was that what Severa was so afraid of? Tha she would react so harshly...this was something she had to rectify immediately. Dessert could wait. “Severa, could we please speak outside?”

Severa wasn’t sure she wanted a one on one conversation with the mother who barely spoke during the confessionals. She at least felt safe with the fathers and their jokes about Morgan and Cynthia being a possible couple. “Wouldn’t that be rude? What if the pie gets cold?”

“Oh” Cynthia spoke up, “We actually made a chocolate pudding so temperature shouldn’t be that big of a problem” Severa harshly glared at her from across the table making her quickly double back, “It should be eaten right away”

“Severa, please” Cordelia insisted, earning a groan and a whine of ‘fiiine’. “This will only be for a few moments if Sumia asks” She told the remaining members of the table as she guided her daughter out of the tent. Frederick, Lissa and Owain had been long gone at this point. “I want you to be honest with me”

Severa folded her arms defensively, “About what? Lucina kinda spilled all of our guts for you a couple of minutes ago. Were you not paying attention?”

“You don’t need to take that tone with me…” How could talking to Morgan be so easy, while talking to Severa felt like pulling off a bandaid? “If I have ever made you feel this way...I apologize. I want you to be able to talk to me without having to worry. Why were you so afraid to tell me?”

Severa turned her back away from her mother and looked to the sky as if making a silent prayer to get through this without having a break down. “You have no idea what it’s like to be your daughter. Cordelia of the Pegasus Knights. Oh she’s beautiful, oh she’s so strong, oh she’s the best warrior, the kindest...how do you live up to that?” Severa folded her arms across her chest, holding herself, “Wear your hair down, you’ll look more like your mother. You know that’s not how your mother would do it. Why aren’t you trying the spear like your mother? It couldn’t hurt to smile. Your mother has a smile that can light up the stars. It’s exhausting trying. So I stopped.”

She turned to face her mother, eyes narrowing harshly, if she wasn’t glaring she was sure that her weakness would show. No she was not going to cry. Not in front of her mother. “And then you died on me, and sometimes I would think….why did the world have to take someone so beautiful and perfect when they could've had me? I’m not worth it”

“Severa….” Cordelia took a step forward, she wanted to touch her daughter to hug her daughter and reassure her that everything was going to be alright...that she was alive and well here in this dimension and that she would have died a hundred times if it meant her daughter could live. 

“No let me finish!” Severa’s voice cracked, oh no the tears were now starting, “And here you are standing before me with that face...I tried so hard to be perfect for you. To have a boyfriend and be what’s expected of me. I wanted you to be proud of me. I can’t even do that right”

Cordelia wasn’t going to let Severa win with this. She took another step toward the broken girl and wrapped her arms tightly around her, “I may not be your mother that you have grown up with but you dare doubt for a second that I don’t love you no matter what. She loved you with all of her heart” She stroked her daughter’s hair as the young girl started to sob into her mother’s shirt, “Shh it’s okay I’m here. I promise you I won’t leave you”

“You can’t promise that” Severa mumbled into her mother’s chest, her body had been shaking from the emotional upheaval.

“...I’ll promise to always love you” Being taller had it’s benefits, Cordelia kissed the top of her daughter’s head, rubbing her back. She hated Grima so much for having torn this young girl’s world apart.

“...Even if I like women?”

“Mhmm” Severa would be surprised at what happened behind closed doors with the Pegasus Knights. Now, she was never a part of that but...it wasn’t a foreign concept to her or Sumia. “Your father’s right, he won’t be able to stop me if Lucina hurts you” She felt Severa chuckle against her, at least she was making some progress. “Do you want to return for dessert now?”

“....Just a couple more minutes…” It had been years since her mother had hugged her like this, probably a decade since she was so stubborn. “...Please?”

“Of course, always”

******************************************************************

It wasn’t hard to catch up to his father. Owain had been fuming for the way his father reacted to his coming out about Brady. “Don’t you dare walk away from me father!” He shouted at his father’s back. Frederick was smart to not go through camp to get back to his hotel, but instead decided to walk along a creek. 

“Not now Owain” Frederick clenched his jaw, a bad habit and an easy tell when something was bothering him. He turned and faced his son like a man, “Please respect my wishes and give me my space”

“Not a chance” Owain shook his head, he wasn’t going to let him get anywhere without an explanation, “That was utterly humiliating for me”

“Humiliating for you?” Frederick’s voice was low, this was still his son he was dealing with. He couldn’t yell, he didn’t want to anger him more, “You’ve completely blindsided me with what? What was that? You didn’t think what kind of position you put me in?”

“I wanted to share something that’s happening in my life with my family” Owain now understood why Brady and Severa had gone through such lengths to hide their sexualities to their parents. “You do not get to make me feel guilty about this”

Frederick held the bridge of his nose, “How could this even happen? Look at you, you could have any woman at this camp” ….The ones of age that is, “What happened? Did something happen in the future. You couldn’t save me from death so I wasn’t around to be a proper father...”

Owain couldn’t help but laugh, “Oh you cannot be serious” He shook his head in disbelief, “For once I’m starting to see very clearly” 

“...I may not be able to speak about Lucina and Severa’s delusion but I can say something about yours” He wouldn’t dare speak against Chrom, or Chrom’s new buddy Robin, “Whatever this is, what you’re ‘feeling’ isn’t real. You’ll see soon enough” He knew that he was only further upsetting him, “Please just give me space”

“I’ll give you more than that…..” The young prince scoffed, “And to think I wanted to be just like you. How foolish of me” Unable to even look at his father he turned away from him and started to walk into the opposite direction. He couldn’t be around this. Not anymore. All he wanted was his family to share in his happiness. 

“Owain” His mother had caught up to the two men in her life, her son passing her by as she approached them. “Wait”

“I can’t” If Lissa wanted to speak with her husband on the matter that was her prerogative, he just didn’t want any part of it, he wanted some time to cool off himself. How could he be so naive? He needed to see a familiar face, someone he knew would always be by his side. He needed Brady, that much was clear to him.

Owain couldn’t find him in his tent, and he knew that he wasn’t on night watch so he risked going to see if he was visiting his mother. As he approached the Noblewoman’s tent he could hear the boisterous laugh of his boyfriend. Hearing it brought a much needed smile to his face. He entered the tent, trying to remain as polite as he could for intruding in a private conversation, “...I hope I’m not interrupting” 

“Owain, what a pleasure” Maribelle greeted him, she could tell instantly that something was off, she quickly welcomed him in. “Sit, sit, sit. I’ll make us some tea” A warm beverage could lift the spirits. 

“Awh nah you weren’t interruptin’.” Brady grinned motioning for Owain to sit next to him, “You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had” The prince smiled politely, thanking Maribelle, and taking a seat next to Brady. Owain could watch his excited smile all day. “So man I’ve been helpin’ Yarne deal with difficult parents. Tharja. I dunno how he didn’t piss himself”

“Brady bear” Maribelle glared at him from across the room, “Language. You are in the presence of a lady, as in your mother, and a Prince”

“Yeah yeah” When his mother’s back was turned away, Brady would just shake his head and roll his eyes. “She legit cut some fur off ‘of im. Sayin’ that if he hurt her daughter that she’d damn his soul. I wouldn’t mess with that...anyhoo so I prepare this meal for Yarne’Noire. It’s this cute date night-what-not. I get my violin...real romantic. So I’m playin’ the background music. There’s candles and...he proposed” ...Brady wasn’t going to mention the part where he cried. It was so sweet he couldn’t help it. “She said yes”

“Oh that’s wonderful” Owain was happy that his friends had found happiness, they made for a cute couple. “Sounds like we’ve both had our fair share of difficult parents”

Maribelle didn’t like the sound of that. She brought over three cups of freshly brewed tea and sat herself across from her son and his new beau. “Do tell, I hear you were apart of an exclusive dinner” 

“Everythin’ alright?” Maribelle knew the truth about Brady so he didn’t feel uncomfortable reaching over to hold Owain’s hand. It wasn’t like he was going to start making out with the other man or anything. 

“Lucina announced that she and Severa are dating” 

Oh no. “And Cordelia was there awh no” Brady let out a deep sigh, he didn’t want to imagine the amount of pain his best friend was in. “Shit. Is she alright?” Concern laced the mage in training’s voice. “How’d Chrom take it? I gotta find her-”

Maribelle could see from Owain’s expression that there was something more going on, “Brady I think you need to let him finish”

“Chrom took it well. Very well...he’s a man of acceptance. So surely I thought if everyone was happy for Lucina and Severa than it would be a good time to announce how I feel about you” Owain laughed humorlessly, “That did not go the way I planned”

“Oh” Brady chanced a glance at his mother to see how she was taking it, she seemed to be contemplating what she was going to say next. “What happened?”

“My father is what happened” Owain brought the cup to his lips, “He left the table all together so I went and confronted him. Oh he does not like the idea of us being together” He shook his head, hating that he even was going to repeat what he had said, “That I was delusional, that was the word. My dear cousin is also delusional”

“He said that?” It was Maribelle who had spoken first, “Frederick….oooh that square jawed imbecile” Maribelle hadn’t been very fond of the man Lissa had left her for, so, she perhaps was a tad biased. “I’m going to give him a piece of my mind” As Maribelle stood up, Brady did as well, grabbing her umbrella before she could get to it. “Give me that!”

“Ma! I’m just as upset as you are but talkin’ to a guy twice yer height ain’t gonna do anything!” He held it further away from his mother’s grasp as she tried reaching for it. “Yer not gettin’ this!”

Maribelle huffed, annoyed at her son, “...May I ask how Lissa responded?” She and Brady shared a knowing glance. This was one secret he knew he couldn’t tell a soul. “Is she alright?”

“She didn’t say much to me….” he admitted, he was so worked up with his father that he didn’t really register his mother’s reaction. Or non-reaction. She grew awfully quiet when Lucina had started breaching the topic. “I don’t understand how Chrom and Robin could be so understanding and then…”

“Some people can be very stubborn” Maribelle still wanted to shout at him, though that wasn’t very ladylike. “And very set in traditional ways”

“I’m sorry Owain…” Brady was smart to take the umbrella with him as he sat back down next to Owain. He hadn’t seen the other man so blue since his favorite wooden sword broke, granted, that incident was at least 12 years ago. “I know how much yer father means to ya”

“He wanted space...so that’s exactly what I’m going to give him”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading/kudosing/commenting! You've all been nothing but sweet and supportive so thank you thank you thank you. <3
> 
> I'm going to do my best to try and get the next update done soon! Uhm preview: There'll be more development with Owain's parents and the Lissa and Maribelle dynamic to come


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than expected! I had been out of state for a couple of days 
> 
> Okay so when I wrote this I used the original couples from my game play file so Lon'qu/Maribelle is a thing and others are briefly mentioned most notably Vaike/Miriel. 
> 
> This chapter is probably the only one that will be more parents than kids

It had been a total of twenty four hours before the entire company knew of Lucina and Owain’s newest romantic endeavors. Cynthia had mastered the dramatic recreation of the event and word tended to travel fast. Owain mostly kept his distance from his father, instead he had been speaking with the most recently engaged couple of the group; Yarne and Noire. He’d rather everyone be talking about the positives and not focusing on his current situation.

Currently in a field, Brady and Severa had been watching Owain “rehearse” with Cynthia and Morgan. He needed the extra people to help get him in the right mindset. Brady swore that he missed his calling being an actor. Perhaps in another life. 

“How’s he doing?” Severa asked, looking over to her friend, she had been too busy with her own family the night before that she couldn’t catch up with him. “I’m glad you didn’t see it, that was pretty rough” 

“Hell, I’m glad Ma didn’t see it” Brady admitted, solemnly looking on to the man before him. Owain certainly knew how to hide his pain well. As good as he was at hiding his feelings, if something really bothered him, he would get a subtle twinge in his eye. “She’s pretty pissed”

“I’m sorry this is happening” Severa rested a comforting hand on her friend’s arm, his shoulder had been too high to reach, “He’s so proud to be with you, he didn’t have to step in that trap. Lucina apparently made coming out look fun” Frederick’s reaction had been why she was so afraid of telling the truth of her own relationship.

Severa felt two arms wrap around her from behind, it was a gesture that made her take a sharp breath. She wasn’t used to people touching her, especially so intimately. She was about to turn around and hit this person when they spoke. “I think it was worth it” Lucina. Of course. Who else would it be?

Severa relaxed into her arms, it still felt foreign to be this close outside, where everyone could see them. She also didn’t miss the smirk Brady was sending her. What an idiot. If Lucina wasn’t pressing her front up against her back she would’ve clocked him in the arm. “Tch maybe” she couldn’t argue. Lucina was right, as usual, give her a gold star for her bravery. The young warrior couldn’t help but look around, checking her surroundings, call it a bad habit.

“What is Owain doing?” Lucina asked, having just arrived, she was going to ask Severa if she wanted to take a walk along the river, but this distracted her. “Did he write another play?”

“Worse”

“Ah” Brady rubbed the back of his neck, where to even begin explaining, “Yarne and Noire are engaged...So he asked if they’d let ‘im officiate n’stuff” He sighed, “They said yeah. So here he is….practicin’ a speech” 

Most of what Owain had been coming up with had been off the cuff. He had to stop every couple of seconds to write down what material he had already come up with. Morgan and Cynthia faced each other, trying not to laugh, as they were really only there as props.

“Oh” Lucina’s nose crinkled, watching as Owain dramatically flared out his arms, “Why is Cynthia wearing a scarf that way?”

“Cynthia and Morgan are stand ins for Yarne and Noire” Severa explained, or at least tried to, this seemed to be ridiculous...even for Owain. “Yarne and Noire actually have stuff to do today, or at least were smart enough to lie” That’s what she would do, “Cynthia is the Yarne...she thought the scarf would make for good rabbit ears. What with trying to get into character” Cynthia’s an idiot, but she couldn’t say that bit out loud with her older sister currently wrapped around her. “He needed people to stand with him to be more authentic”

“I see….” Lucina turned her head to Brady, a man she needed to get better re-acquainted with as he’s dating her cousin and is her current girlfriend’s best friend. “He’s distracting himself in projects so he doesn’t have to face his feelings about his father...isn’t he?”

“Uh huh” Brady rubbed his forehead, it had been an interesting twenty four hours for him. Between comforting Owain...holding his mother back from confronting Frederick and trying to buffer his boyfriend from getting too involved in their friends potential wedding. “He asked Laurent if he could shoot off fireworks” Seeing the confusion on the women’s faces beside him he explained, “Ah a project he’s been workin’ on. From what I know they’re suppos’ta be real pretty lights in the sky. But they make a big boom noise so uh….that’d be dumb to do” In the middle of a war zone that’d just give away their location. 

“I should probably talk to him” Lucina couldn’t help but feel like she was partly to blame for this situation. She didn’t think through all of the consequences of the possibility of their news not being well received. The princess was to meet up with her father and Frederick for a private meeting in a couple of minutes...which would now be uncomfortable. “Rise his spirits” Though she spoke of moving, she really didn’t want to leave this embrace, “But he looks busy, perhaps later?”

Severa brought a hand to her mouth to amplify the sound of her voice, “Get a room you two!” Her yelling startled Morgan and Cynthia, the two younger girls being too busy holding hands and looking into eachother’s eyes. They were pretend getting married after all. Owain did not look appreciative of Severa’s intrusion, but it seemed to do the job, “There you go”

Lucina rolled her eyes, she loved the shorter girl in spite of her rude outbursts, “Thank you” She kissed Severa’s cheek as she passed her to go speak with her cousin. 

“Shit, aren’t you two cute?” Brady laughed at the exchange. Really he couldn’t have been more ecstatic that both he and Severa could finally enjoy their lives the way it was meant to be lived. He was especially proud of Severa for not only confronting her feelings for Lucina head on, but for facing her insecurities about her mother. “She’s so gunna have you so whipped” He couldn’t help but poke fun at her, she was practically his sister at this point. Not that he’d be very good at threatening Lucina if she ever hurt her….he didn’t have that kind of authority. 

Severa let out one of her famous ‘hmphs’, turning to face him with her head titled to the side, “Y’know I thought of a way that would cheer Owain up” With a closed fist she brought it to her mouth, pressing her tongue to her cheek to complete the lewd gesture.

Brady’s eyes widened, really hoping that no one else was actually watching them, especially because that earned her a good punch in the shoulder. “Gah! Severa I swear” not that he was innocent to teasing her back...this was just way too dangerous of a location to fall into their habits. What with their significant others right there before them. He laughed nervously and waved to them as Severa’s very loud ‘ow!’ had caught their attention. “She’s fine!”

***********************************************************************

Chrom had never been the type of leader that ever had to worry about his Shepherds chemistry with one another. They all wanted the same thing and always seemed to be on the same page under his leadership. The children from the future changed the dynamic of everything. Up until now he thought he was handling that just fine.

Having the adult children around meant sets of parents were trying to adjust to the idea to being mentors and focusing on connecting with their children. Chrom had been guilty of that as well; he wanted nothing more than to get to know his two daughters. Lucina and Cynthia were only in his life for such a short time but they had such a pull on his heart. So much so that he had to ask Frederick to come to this strategy meeting. 

He never imagined that he would have to be at odds with his oldest friend...but considering how the dinner went, if he had these views about his own son, surely he would have a problem with Lucina. Chrom couldn't have that. Robin, Frederick, Lucina; as a leader he needed his three units to get along.

Frederick entered Chrom’s tent, standing tall, his expression stoic. His old friend always put his duty as a knight first. “M’lord” he greeted, stepping over to the table to observe the map. Frederick normally was the first to arrive at strategy meetings, so to him, this was nothing out of the ordinary. Though considering that they were alone, he wanted to take advantage of this time. “I want to apologize for my behavior last night. I hope Sumia wasn't offended by my actions. Her dinner was exquisite”

Chrom knew his old friend like the back of his hand. That the knight before him grew up in a small town, where he learned all of his core values of right and wrong. “How are you, my friend? Your son…”

Frederick’s lips tightened as he realized why Robin hadn't arrived yet. Was this all a ruse to get him to talk? “My son is confused...war can affect people differently. There's a desperation to feel close to others and-”

“I don't think he's confused.” Chrom stated firmly, if not to protect his nephew but his daughter's choice in lovers as well. “Frederick, how can you turn your flesh and blood away like that? He needs you more than ever” 

The knight didn't like his Exalts line of questioning, it came from a place of judgement, “I admit I reacted poorly” he did, he knows, his wife had already lectured him on how he was being a ‘meanie’. 

“That's all you have to say for yourself?”

Frederick sighed, his armor feeling heavier with the weight of his emotion, “I didn't expect that I would come into contact with a son that hadn't even been conceived yet. Suddenly I have to be a father with no chance to prepare” He wasn't Lissa, his kind hearted wife that let everyone in, he always had been on guard. Especially with his heart. 

“All I could think of at the table was: “how did this happen?”” When Chrom's eyes narrowed in confusion he continued. “What happened to my son that made him this way? Did me dying change him? How am I supposed to raise a son” His thoughts traveled to a son that hadn’t been conceived yet, was his destiny preventing this from happening? “...How am I supposed to put a stop to this?”

Both men were surprised to hear a very feminine scoff followed by a “You’re so daft” At the entrance of the tent stood Maribelle and Miriel, two people who were not invited to this tactical meeting. “Owain being interested in my Brady has nothing to do with you” her eyes narrowed at the much larger man. Maribelle had been trying to find the knight for sometime to give him a piece of her mind. With Brady not around to keep her at bay, now was the perfect opportunity. She had only asked Miriel to join her in case she needed any sort of backup. With Laurent also being gay, she needed an ally.

Chrom sighed deeply at the intrusion, he really thought he was finally getting somewhere with Frederick. “I'm going to have to ask you two to leave”

“Absolutely not” Maribelle openly defied her prince by stepping further into their space. When she felt that Miriel hadn't made a move she turned dramatically to the other woman and motioned for her to join her defiance. “You cannot avoid me forever Frederick”

“You did not have a direct cause to his homosexuality tendencies” Miriel had a piece of parchment in hand as she approached the table, “With Laurent’s help, we have put together these notes depicting-”

“I don't want to see a chart, or what have you” Frederick tried to appear as neutral as possible, despite the annoyance he felt bubbling, “You were asked to leave”

“Just admit that you're homophobic” Maribelle narrowed her eyes at the other man. She couldn't help but feel that this had been a personal attack. not just on her son Brady but her own bisexuality, “You’re making it sound like he's a victim of a horrible event. You dying did not cause this”

“She's right” Miriel stated flatly, “To put it simplistically” yes she had been upset that he didn't want to even look at her well crafted notes. She had color coded diagrams and everything. “He was born that way. This is not a choice...however, do to social constructs many homosexual, or perhaps in Owain’s case bisexual” she didn’t know how he identified, “feel like they must pursue the opposite sex. Only to find any sexual contact to be anything less of satisfying” 

“Hmph yes with attitudes like yours” Maribelle wasn't as eloquent in her delivery, she needed Miriel there to balance her out. Oh she had been seething mad ever since a broken Owain visited her tent. No. This went back further, it brought up memories of her own heartbreak. 

“It's because it's wrong” Frederick simply stated, he wasn't going to be persecuted for what he believed in. Not by a tiny noblewoman who couldn't follow a simple order to leave. It had been pounded into his head that love could only be found between a man and a woman...Owain and Brady, Severa and Lucina...this was all so jarring to him. 

Chrom moved to hold Maribelle’s arm before it could make any sudden movement to slap Frederick for his comment. He made a mental note to never get on her bad side. “Emmeryn believed that all should feel welcome in our kingdom, and I agree with her”

Frederick’s brow raised, “Perhaps for your people. But you sire are held to a different standard. Severa cannot provide Lucina with an heir, neither can Brady it's as simple as that. The royal bloodline would cease to exist. What would you suggest in this scenario? That my son impregnates your daughter’s wife? It's impractical. Other kingdoms would scoff at the idea.”

“Let. Go. Of. Me” Maribelle demanded of Chrom, trying to shake out of his grasp. Manners be damned at this point. She wanted nothing more than to slap, a lady doesn't punch like a barbarian, the man before her. 

This sort of mindset was exactly what her son and Severa were afraid of. The two had put so much effort in pretending to be something they weren't to appease ignorance. This had been the reason Lissa couldn't bear to speak of her romance with Maribelle. The people needed to open their eyes.

Chrom kept a tight grip on the woman beside him. As much as he would enjoy seeing her make his old friend eat his words...especially about his daughter, he couldn't. “You're right. This has never happened before. I don't have an answer for you this second, my friend, to how it would work” he paused, “There is Cynthia”

Silence filled the room at his suggestion. Frederick exchanged glances with Miriel, both were at least on the same page with this one. Maribelle pursed her lips together as she tried to organize her thoughts. There was no good way to respond. Cynthia wasn't exactly the sharpest...a lovely girl with a heart the size of the sun itself but...well, she believed a warlord was her father for quite sometime. No one wanted to suggest that she wouldn't be as lucky in finding love...let alone lead a country. 

Miriel, tactfully, was the first to speak, “I cannot speak for the royals of the past but statistically it's unrealistic for every member of this family to be 100% heterosexual. That's improbable” The kingdom had existed for such a long period of time, “There is no way to confirm or deny this claim however” Test subjects are no good to her when they're dead. “But even amongst us Shepherds I would hypothesize that there are homosexuals amongst us” she paused, “If not, people who would identify as bisexual”

“That's a ridiculous claim” Frederick folded his arms, thankfully his attention focused on Miriel, instead of the tiny blonde before him. 

“Hmm” Chrom didn't chance letting Maribelle go, “Perhaps it's not” His own daughter coming out to be in a sapphic relationship opened his eyes to a world he wasn't fully aware of. “You were saying something about social constructs”

“Yes” Miriel didn't show it, but internally she felt glee when having the opportunity to teach a lesson. It didn't matter the subject. “It skews the data. The environment, in this case, cultural views put a stigma on the concept. Many don't even realize their preferences, those that do sometimes will reject them in order to appear acceptable for society. For example Brady and Severa pretended to be romantically inclined despite not having an attraction. It was to satisfy an expectation set by society. Though some are brave enough to try” she shifted uncomfortably, “Hm. I cannot believe I haven't taken the liberty of an alternative experience. Maribelle, would you perhaps indulge a personal hypothesis?” 

“You cannot be serious…” Frederick’s brows furrowed, this was getting to be ridiculous. Talk of there being gay people amongst the group...most of the Shepherds had happily gotten married the proof being the children coming back in time. There was no way Miriel could be right on the subject. 

“I'm sure my husband wouldn't mind me assisting you” Maribelle smirked seductively, now she was just having fun, as Frederick seemed to get uncomfortable around any gay activity. “In the name of science of course” 

“Now you're both mocking me” Frederick looked to Chrom for some assistance, “I won't stand for this” 

Miriel deadpanned, “I would never joke about the scientific method.”

Frederick huffed, throwing his arms up in the air, “That’s it” He wasn't even sure there was even tactical meeting. There had been no signs of Lucina or Robin. Frederick felt ambushed by his best friend and he didn't want to humor this any longer. “If you don't need me here I'll be doing something useful. Taking stock of the armory” not standing for this any longer he had taken his leave. 

Once gone, Chrom finally released Maribelle from his hold. That could have gone better, though, he did appreciate everything that Miriel had taught him. How oblivious he felt about even the people around him. Most importantly a defensive Frederick proved to be a difficult one.

There was a small hint of a smile on Miriel’s face, “Did you observe what I did there? The use of irony to mock contempt” Her husband, Vaike, had been trying to teach her what a sense of humor looked like and how to put together a joke. His light hearted personality seemed to rub off on her, even if she didn’t fully grasp the concept. “It's humorous because of my dedication to the scientific method” she explained to now a bewildered Chrom and Maribelle.

“....that was a jest?” Maribelle didn't think this woman would even be capable of such a thing. The noblewoman was even prepared to lock lips with the intellectual before her. It had the added bonus of ruffling Frederick’s feathers. Perhaps it was for the best. Maribelle couldn't help that she had such an effect on the fairer sex. 

Miriel calmed, reverting to her usual self in a manner of seconds, “Of course. I am already well aware of my sexual preferences. On a spectrum I've found to have more of a reaction to male stimulus” She never had bias when it came to the nature of her studies. If she had a theory, an inkling of a curiosity, she would diligently get to the bottom of it and find answers. 

Chrom’s face contorted at Miriel’s choice of the phrase ‘male stimulus’. Especially since Vaike instantly came to mind. Maribelle’s bit back a snide comment that she had never experienced being with her before. She was around Chrom after all.

Miriel continued seeing as her comrades were too stunned, “I suppose I still need to work on my delivery” she had a hard time gripping the concept of humor. “I'll leave my data with you m’lord, if you have any other questions feel free to come to me or my son for information” She nodded curtly to her comrades and exited the tent, leaving a stunned Chrom and Maribelle.

“Well. That did not go according to plan” Chrom sighed turning back to his map, he felt like he could have gotten somewhere with Frederick if he hadn't been so interrupted. At the same time, without the push from Maribelle and Miriel he could see how deeply rooted his friends opinions were. 

“I apologize for my rash behavior” Maribelle did go directly against his orders. Even if he was her best friend's older brother he still had the highest rank among the group. “I suppose I should thank you for stopping me”

Chrom glanced up from the map to the woman before her, “You don't need to thank me. Between you and me” Maribelle nodded for him to continue, a silent promise, “I wanted to hit him for the comment he made of our situation…if she were to take Severa as a wife”

“Ah...yes. That one” Maribelle wasn't fond of the implication as well. She was shocked that Frederick was even capable of saying such things. “Would you allow that?” The Noblewoman asked curiously, “A princess to marry a woman?”

“I meant what I said earlier” Chrom turned to the other woman, “I will honor my dear sisters wishes for the kingdom until my dying breath. I understand that would call for an uphill climb. She believed in acceptance, as do I” He smiled kindly, “And that starts with leadership...no, it starts with this camp”

Maribelle’s thoughts fleeted to the past; to a time where she tried to convince Lissa to give her brother more credit...that he would be accepting no matter what. It was nice to see that she was right about him. “Do you think what Miriel said proves true?”

“That there are gay Shepherds that we’re unaware of?” Chrom didn't really think of his friends sexual preferences much, it just never crossed his mind, “I think so”

Maribelle needed to test the waters even further, to see what the royal actually knew about his own family. “Any suspicions as to who?”

Chrom paused and thought for a long moment, “Perhaps Ricken?”

The noblewoman let out a breath of relief, so he didn't suspect her darling Lissa. It wasn't until it set in when she realized what he had said, oh Ricken. She didn't even think to suspect anything of boy, “...Yes perhaps Ricken…” She repeated somberly. 

“Are we interrupting something?” Robin’s voice filled the tent, breaking both Maribelle and Chrom from their thoughts. Lucina entered with Robin, instantly taking note that Frederick wasn't among them. 

“I was just leaving” Maribelle smiled politely as she took her leave, she wanted no part of an actual tactical meetup. What a bore, she would receive the highlights later. 

“Will Frederick be joining us?” Lucina asked, moving to the table behind her father, preparing for their meetings topic.

“He will not be unfortunately” Chrom motioned for Robin to join them, his back turned as Lucina grabbed the parchment Miriel had left. “He's taking stock of the armory”

“I see…” Robin and Lucina both had similar suspicions….that Frederick had been avoiding both of them due to their connection to Severa. 

“What is this meeting in reference to?” Robin asked, trying to get the ball rolling so Lucina wouldn't have to dwell on her feelings.

Lucina unraveled the parchment curiously, thinking it had to do with the topic at hand only to find...in actuality it was a Miriel’s notes and graphs depicting differences in sexual preference. Her eyebrows rose sky high at the mention of sexual practice, and what entails to love making. To her relief there were no sketches. Miriel was thorough in her explanations of anything, “Um, father? Is there something you'd like to discuss with me? About Severa?” Robin’s interest perked at the mention of his daughter.

“What?” He turned, his face reddening at the sight of his daughter with Miriel’s notes, “Oh no-no that's nothing”

“Nothing?” Lucina frowned, “It's color coded” 

Chrom reached over to try and take the offending parchment from his daughter. Right now he needed to take control of this room, there really had been a reason he called his trustworthy units. “We must discuss the matter at hand”

“Do we need to prepare for another battle?” Robin asked, taking a seat at the table. He felt off having any sort of meeting without Frederick, personal feelings aside, the man's experience in battle proved to useful.

“Not like you expect” Chrom responded, motioning a confused Lucina to sit with them. “There are neighboring towns ahead on our path that have been overrun by a local warlord” the Exalt pointed to a place on the map, “His men have been terrorizing outside trade routes as well”

“No village left behind” Lucina murmured, even though this would distract them from their ultimate agenda, it was important as the royal family to take care of the people. “What are we to do?”

“Can I make a suggestion?” Robin waited for Chrom to nod his approval, “What if we divide and conquer? We break up into teams of three” he motioned to the father and daughter combo, “This Warlord must have strength in their numbers. If we prevent them from becoming a single unit, we’ll have a better chance of winning this quickly and easily”

“One group for each town and a group to handle the ruffians on the trade route” Lucina mused, rubbing her chin in thought, “Am I understanding this correctly?”

Chrom agreed that this would be the best choice of action. “Lucina you and your company will take the eastern town” he moved a white horse onto the map. The children had the most chemistry with one another so it only made sense to him that they would be a group. “I will take the western town. Robin you gather a small group to take the trade route back”

“Understood”

******************************************  
Chrom had assigned Maribelle and Miriel to be apart of his company. He hated that he needed to separate his comrades due to their personal feelings rather than their skill set. Frederick and Lissa were best left with Robin. Perhaps his best friend could talk some sense into the stubborn knight. One could hope.

With Robin’s company taking the main trade route, Chrom decided that his group would be traveling to the western village the round about way. If this Warlord was smart he would have some men blocking this path as well. Not enough to take on a well trained batch of heroes, but enough to scare the common villager from even trying. The path ahead seemed narrow, tall canyon walls on either side of the small group. 

Since Maribelle insisted that she be taking her horse with her, she had to travel in the middle of the pack for her protection. As the only healer of the group she proved to be one of the more important pieces. Her husband, Lon’qu, walked silently beside her. 

“Go ahead and say what you're thinking” Maribelle knew her husband well. The stoic swordsman had subtle tells. Over time spent together she picked up on his facial expressions. The twitch of an eyebrow, the hint of a smile. She understood when something had been bothering him, when something excited him...and the times he was just too stubborn for his own good.

Many wrote the pair up as an odd couple. Maribelle’s father, the Duke, wasn't very pleased that she chose to settle down with someone outside of noble blood. As if he would have been happy knowing her previous romantic trysts. For being a proper lady, she had been one to constantly break rules for love. Love strikes in mysterious ways after all.

Lon’qu joined the company months after Lissa ended things with the troubadour. Maribelle often had paired up with him due to his stubborn nature on the battlefield. He didn't have much regard for his own body, and Maribelle would have none of that. As a healer it was her duty to make sure the Shepherds come back home to their families in one piece. She took a great amount of pride in her work. She kept everyone alive thus far, there would not be a scratch on her perfect record.

Her constantly having to heal him sparked a comradely. She had been determined to help him with his gynophobia. At first it was merely a distraction from her hurt feelings. She always would carry a love for dear Lissa, but she wouldn't allow herself to dwell on what could have been. Lissa married Frederick. There was nothing she could do outside of supporting her like a true friend.

A large part of her initial attraction to Lon’qu had been that he was so different from Lissa, well, outside of their stubbornness. Over time the pair had gotten closer. He grew the courage to hold her hand or caress her cheek. Small steps. After her heartbreak it had been refreshing to take things slow; or in this case excruciatingly slow. Maribelle proved to be patient with him and his needs. Even though they had been married for months now they were only just starting to be more physically intimate. Maribelle could attest that it was well worth the wait. 

“You shouldn't have confronted Frederick” He stated, glancing up toward his wife for a moment, then focusing on the road ahead. The Shepherds’ currently had the low ground, a stark disadvantage.

“Why? Someone had to stand up to him” Maribelle shook her head, “No one insults my family” Lon’qu admitted her burning passion to protect her own was endearing. She's stood up for him plenty of times. “Aren't you outraged?”

Lon’qu sighed. Of course he didn't like the idea of Frederick passing judgement on his son, how he reacted to even his own son. Lon’qu personally didn't care if Brady were dating Severa or Owain. If he was happy so be it. Whatever. Move on to the next battle. 

Maribelle huffed, “I forgot your approach to confrontation is glaring”

“He's a good man” Lon’qu ignored his wife's over dramatic sigh, “He needs time” Frederick proved to be stern, sure, but would he really be the type to completely disown his own blood? Lon’qu didn't believe it. “Give him space” When his wife made a noise of disapproval he repeated, “Give him space”

“Fine” She didn't get to unload every thought that crossed her mind, but perhaps that was for the best. For now. “But if he says anything to Brady…about Brady”

“I won't stop you.” 

It was then an arrow came out of the woods and landed feet before Maribelle’s trusted horse. Startled, the horse rose onto its hind legs and let out a loud winney. Lon’qu tried to grab a hold of its reins to calm him down but it was too late. Maribelle in her moment of distraction had been thrown from the horse’s back, the hard surface of the ground breaking her fall. 

“Maribelle?” 

His wife didn't respond...she lost consciousness immediately upon impact. These brigands were going to pay.

Chrom pointed up to the ledge as it appeared more archers were exiting the safety of the trees to get a sharper look at their targets below. “We need magical cover now!”

********************************************

Robin had a simpler time with his task, as he crafted the perfect plan to trap the ruffians on the trade route. Childs play. He used Sully and Stahl’s horses to pull along a fake carriage. Instead of goods and supplies any attacker would be surprised to find that the wagon would be full of soldiers. Donnell could play the part of a young wide eyed farmer just trying to bring his crop to the villages and make a penny for his wife and child. Since their own children were at the village, they had to improvise. Ricken and Nowi had such baby faces that as long as she covered her ears with Ricken’s over sized hat, no one would be the wiser. Sully wasn’t as thrilled to have to pretend to be Donnell’s wife, but with Lissa in the covered wagon and Cherche and Cordelia taking the skies there weren’t many options.

Inside the covered wagon, Lissa, Robin, and Frederick sat quietly, the air around them filled with uncomfortable uncertainty. For as smart as Robin’s plan was….he really wished he thought through who would be the ones sitting inside. Lissa looked absolutely exhausted, Robin could guess that she didn’t get much sleep the night before; the worry on her mind about her son, and the conversations she must of had with her husband. 

Frederick didn’t say a word, he didn’t even look at the two blondes in the wagon with him. Right now he was on a mission. His duty came first. He needed to protect the company, his wife. His personal matters could be set aside until this was all over. 

“Are you alright?” Robin turned to the young woman beside him, he kept his voice low so the happy family in the front of the wagon didn’t hear their conversation. Thankfully Ricken and Nowi seemed too preoccupied in making jokes and poking at each other. He could swear that he heard Sully threaten to turn this wagon around if they didn’t shut up.

“Mhmm” Lissa forced a smile for her brother’s best friend. She trusted Robin and over time it felt like she had gained a brother in him. “Just a lot on my mind”

Frederick knew that the pair must have been talking about him. The Shepherds in general knew how he reacted and his current disagreement with Owain. He’d rather not everyone know about his personal business. This was between him, his wife, and his son….and perhaps technically Brady. “What do you want me to say?” His tone was stern, he didn’t mean for it to come out that way. Frederick had never been good at expressing himself correctly. 

“I want the man I fell in love with” Lissa had talked his ear off the night before. She wanted him, no, she needed him to apologize to their son. To make it right. She had known the man for a long time, she knew in his heart that he was good. She needed to believe that she could reach him. “Who are you right now?”

Frederick looked to his trusty axe, that answer was obvious to him. The same person he was raised to be...a strong knight that put service and his values above all else. A warrior, a protector, Chrom’s right hand man. All titles he worked hard to achieve. Recently he could add father to that list something he clearly hadn’t perfected. “Robin. What are your thoughts?”

Robin wasn’t sure if he appreciated the dodged question, though he supposed he had been in a similar boat, what with Severa’s dating choice. “That war doesn’t give us the luxury of time. I know it’s not easy for you, but don’t leave this world with regrets” 

“I could’ve told you that” Lissa moved from Robin’s side so she could sit next to her husband, “Oh wait, I did tell you that. Multiple times” Her eyes pleaded with the man beside her, taking his hand within her own. “You are the bravest person I know” She squeezed it gently, “I know this is difficult for you. It’s scary and it’s different and it’s hard...but we’re going to have an Owain of our own soon, probably, and I want him to see him the way I see you. You’re my hero” She paused, “Okay not in the exact same way I see you but oooh you know what I mean”

Frederick’s brows furrowed, taking that all in for a moment, “...Soon? Are….” His eyes widened, “Are you with child?”

Robin couldn’t help but make his presence known, a wide smile on his face, “Congratulations”

“What?” Lissa sat back quickly as if she touched something scalding hot, “No! That’s not-that’s not what I’m saying! I mean maybe! I don’t know. I was talking in hyperbole”

“Hypothetically” He corrected. The gallant knight slowly nodded trying to understand what was happening, “....But you could be with child?” His whole world was spinning. First he was bombarded with the news that his son from the future is having a gay affair and now his wife could be pregnant? But she didn’t know? Was she trying to kill him?

It was then the cart came to a screeching halt. Frederick wrapped his arms protectively around his possibly pregnant wife. He couldn’t afford to have her stumble, especially not now. Robin on the other hand skidded on the bench trying to hold onto something for balance. Leave it to Donnell and Sully to not give any sort of warning.

With Cherche and Cordelia coming down swiftly from the sky, a beyond done Sully, a dragon girl, Ricken and Robin’s magical forces and an angry Frederick their team was quick to smack down any ruffians. Frederick and Sully personally used this opportunity to take out their frustrations. Punching people shouldn’t be so therapeutic. Donnell made sure that the horses were calm and that no one got near them but him. The battle itself had been fairly quick, the Shepherd’s easily out skilling these common thugs. Robin hoped that the other two groups shared similar experiences. 

Sully finished tying the ruffians together, they didn’t need to kill them, only subdue and take them into the proper authority. “If it up to me you no good sons of bitches’d be sent to a prison island” She scoffed, dusting her hands off, prison island sounded like a grand idea to her. If only Chrom felt the same way. When she turned back to the rest of the group she noticed smoke off into the distance, a fire, “Isn’t that where Chrom is?”

Lissa’s eyes went wide at the sight, “Maribelle’s their only healer” She quickly moved to Cordelia. With her swift pegasus she had no doubts that she could get them there in the thick of it all, “You must take me there immediately”

Cordelia looked to her husband, the tactician, once he nodded in approval she helped Lissa onto her pegasus. “Hold onto me tightly” She instructed, the smaller blonde wrapped her arms around the Pegasus knight. Lissa needed to make sure Chrom was okay, she lost one sibling she couldn’t bear to lose another.

Once the two women had taken off, Frederick grabbed Robin by his cloak. “How dare you give permission for her to go! She shouldn’t be near combat if what she said is true!” Panicked, he let the other man go, he needed to spring into action, for his wife...for Owain. “Cherche, we’re following them”

“Understood” She hadn’t even had the chance to get off of Minerva, she held out a hand to which he gratefully accepted. “We’ll be sure to get them home safely” Cherche nodded to her team leader. Once Frederick was secure behind her she patted Minerva to take flight, hurrying after the pegasus before them.

Robin turned to the remaining members of his group, something bothering him in the back of his mind. “Maribelle isn’t the only healer” He murmured, looking to Sully, Donnell and Nowi, “Where’s Libra?”

“Oh he wanted to stay behind!” Nowi had spoken with him before they left. She snapped her fingers trying to remember what it was he said he was doing, “Lissa asked him to do a favor? Or something? Maybe make a potion? I don’t think she’s feeling very well” She looked up to the sky, she could barely make out the two beasts in the sky, “Ooh she probably shouldn’t be flying” 

*********************************************  
Lissa didn’t think this plan through. She held tightly onto Cordelia, afraid that if she budged she’d fall or worse throw up everywhere. People were not meant to fly like this. Her prayers were answered soon enough and the pair had landed...Frederick and Cherche following suit. It appeared as though the battle was over, any of the brigands that survived were skillfully tied up. Others weren’t so lucky. Up ahead Chrom, Stahl and Vaike were trying to figure out how to move a rock blockade. It was smart of the Warlord to cut off any travel among this path, forcing villagers to take the main route.

Lon’qu however had been seated down next to his wife, afraid to touch her...afraid to move her. He couldn’t bear losing another woman important to him. It was then he noticed the arrival of the others. “...Help her”

“Oh nonononono” Lissa rushed over to her best friend’s side, her staff at the ready, “Maribelle! What happened?” She started to use her healing magics right away, she had to wake up. 

Lon’qu’s eyes never left his wife, as if looking away meant losing her, “She was thrown from her horse”

Frederick had been torn, go see what Chrom had been trying to do or stay with his wife. He elected to stand protectively over his wife. Motioning for Cherche and Cordelia to help Chrom...perhaps with the added assistance of a Wyvern they could move the wreckage out of their path and continue on.

As the magics started to take it’s effect, Maribelle gingerly woke up, a warm smile on her face seeing two of the three people that mattered most in her life. “...Did we win?” She sat herself up, boy did her back ache, she hoped that they could stop at a hot springs. She deserved to be pampered for everything she had gone through.

“Don’t scare me like that!” Lissa enveloped Maribelle into a tight hug, relieved that her best friend survived the battle. She wouldn’t know what she would do without her best friend...especially when things were so complicated with her husband and son. 

“I’m not going anywhere, darling” She kept one arm tightly around her best friend, the other hand reached out for her husband, resting her hand on his knee. He also needed the reassurance that she was just fine. 

Frederick patted Lon’qu’s shoulder as he passed, this was an intimate moment that he felt uncomfortable intruding upon. Instead he went to where he could be more helpful. His lips pursed at the sight of the roadblock ahead. “M’lord, with Sumia, Cordelia and Cherche..what if we took multiple trips over the rubble? There aren’t many of us, we could potentially go six at a time”

Chrom smiled at the idea, glad that the two fliers joined them, “What of Maribelle’s horse?”

“We can send Lissa back” Frederick didn’t want his wife anywhere near combat if there was the potential that she was with child. Chrom was about to argue, as Maribelle had just been injured, but he could see the determination in his oldest friend’s eyes… “I will personally see to it that she arrives at camp safely”

“Alright then, let’s go” Chrom sighed, he only hoped that Lucina and the others were faring better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will go back to the kids, I promise! Maribelle and Lissa will have a moment...soon. We're almost at the end :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay well this bit was originally going to be saddled with last chapter but I'm really glad that I broke it up. This one's got 13 kids in one tiny bar. Fun times

Lucina’s heart swelled whenever her father put her in charge of missions. When she wasn’t riddled with nightmares she dreamed of being able to lead by his side, for him to trust her with her own team to save a village meant the world to her. She didn’t want to let him down. No, she couldn’t let him down. Back in their own dimension, battles didn’t have as much tact. With Risen all over the place it tended to be more kill or be killed...here she had to think differently. They didn’t necessarily have to kill their enemies, only in self defense. 

Wanting to be smart about the idea, she sent some eyes in the sky. Morgan and Cynthia were to do a quick surveillance and then return with information. People didn’t give Cynthia enough credit, sure she was a bit clumsy and maybe a little excitable but Lucina had the utmost faith in her. If anything the girl was ballsy. Gerome would normally be sent in as well...but something about a Wyvern up in the skies brought too much attention.

“Are you okay?” Severa stood at her lover’s side, keeping her voice low so others wouldn’t pick up on any of Lucina’s insecurities. If she had any. Lucina seemed to have a steady head on her shoulders; or was the world’s best liar. 

“Something doesn’t feel right” Lucina’s thoughts had been broken by the return of her sister and Morgan. “What did you see?”

“Nothing” Morgan was the first to get off of her pegasus, going over to offer her hand to Cynthia to offer a hand so the shorter girl didn’t slip off her dismount. “That’s what’s concerning”

“What do you mean by nothing?” Severa’s eyes narrowed at her sister, her tone biting. She felt Lucina’s hand on her shoulder so she stepped back in line, she settled on folding her arms instead. 

“She means nothing” Cynthia let go of Morgan’s hand once her feet were planted firmly on the ground, “No villagers, no brigands, it looked like a ghost town!”

Lucina didn’t like the sound of that in the slightest. From what she understood a warlord had taken over the town to harass any sort of valuables and goods, as well as taking control over them by force. “They have to be somewhere” She murmured, mostly to herself. 

“If I may” Laurent stepped over to his princess, taking off his mage’s hat to show his respects for her leadership. “If I were to take an educated guess the villagers must not feel safe and have closed themselves in their houses. If they haven’t been killed, or tried to make their own escape” He paused, “As for our adversaries, they must have a building where they congregate and fortify their strengths, keep their supplies”

“We find the building, we find our enemy, we take them out” Was what Lucina had gathered by Laurent’s observations. It wasn’t the worst of plans. They did have the advantage of having excellent battle chemistry with one another. “Leave the beasts here” She motioned to the three animals, she didn’t want them to get caught in the crossfire. “We take the village by foot”

The village itself had better days, there had been lots of fire damage to the properties. Places of business seemed to be more of a target over the houses...perhaps what Cynthia had said was true, that the town was simply abandoned. The other thought being all of the ruffians decided to take fort in the twin town just across the way. No. Lucina couldn’t think that way. She hoped that they would find someone to face here, just so Chrom wouldn’t be overwhelmed. The stillness in the air became unnerving. 

Inigo was the first to speak, “There’s a tavern up ahead” He pointed out from his station in the pack middle of the pack. Strategically, Lucina placed herself and Owain in the front. They would be the first to see any sort of threats. Severa and Inigo, the other swordsmen flanked their side. Gerome and Cynthia stood on the furthest ends left and right Brady, Noire, Morgan, Nah, Laurent and Yarne comfortably took the middle positions; with Brady being the only healer. It left Kjelle and her heavy armor to bring up the rear.

Lucina and Owain both frowned as they looked ahead, they had been searching the town for an hour and not being able to find any trace of a secret base had started to become disheartening. Drinking couldn’t be the answer. They couldn’t give up, not yet. “No”

“We’re not slacking off” Owain shook his head, as much as he could go for some ale right now. 

“No no that’s not what I mean” Even if ten percent of his motivation to stop at a tavern was for selfish purposes, he actually thought this through, “These men can’t be this intelligent. If I were a criminal needing a secret base, where else would I go but to the place that serves alcohol? I imagine there are fine ladies there” He winked to Lucina, now that the cat was out of the bag about her sexuality he thought it would be a good selling point. Severa and Nah were not amused.

“He does have a valid point” Laurent spoke up, leaning forward between the pair of royals before him. “It’s the best lead we have thus far.” If anything they would be able to check this off the list of places that were vacant. 

“Fine” Lucina relented, if anything this could potentially give them a chance to sit down. Even if the tavern were completely empty, it would give them a chance to regroup and think about what their next move would be. “Try to act natural”

“Yeah easier said than done” Yarne murmured under his breath as they approached the bar. He stuck out like a sore thumb with his ears and his fur. He always made for an easy target at establishments like this.

Once inside the group of young adults were surprised to finally see some life within the ghost town. A piano playing in the corner, people were around the bar drinking merrily, a bartender wiping down glasses. It was as if this place existed outside of the town around it. How could this place breathe so much life where the rest of the town had shut down? Entertainment and booze possibly. Perhaps Inigo was right, that this was the secret base.

“Split up. Don’t drink too much to fit in” Lucina murmured, she along with Brady, Severa and Owain found themselves at a booth. Lucina and Owain on one side and Brady and Severa on the other, she strategically made the foursome sit as if they were on a double date. Which, technically, would be true. They were two different couples, just not the ones people would assume at first glance. 

Noire had quietly nudged her fiance’s side, seeing an unoccupied dart board in the back corner of the bar. The two liked to be discreet and out of everyone’s attention. Kjelle sat down at one of the tables in a more central location with Cynthia, Morgan, Nah and Inigo. Inigo would have to thank Owain for being with Brady because that meant he was the most eligible bachelor of the young up and coming Shepherds. A great responsibility that he would gladly take on.

It left Laurent and Gerome to be seated at the bar. Both were quietly murmuring any observations of the bar they see as it comes up. Out of the group, they saw themselves as the most diligent with their defensive planning. 

“Clientele seems mixed” Laurent quietly spoke, before bringing a tankard of ale to his mouth. He’d prefer a glass of wine...though that did not suit the mission of blending in. “Most are young”

Gerome’s eyes narrowed behind his mask as he scanned his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place with this tavern, in fact the place seemed quite small. “Count the scars” A warrior, a true warrior, carried his battles on his skin. Brady could attest to that, the man barely counted as a soldier but his face carried the proof of combat. “Count the markings” If any of the men, or possibly women, at the bar had similar tattoos that could indicate a loyalty based following. 

Laurent nodded in response, taking in observation of everyone in the bar. There had been clusters of men all of different sizes throughout. A couple of tables away from Kjelle, a group of five men were chanting on a sixth to drink ale as fast as he possibly could. Oh. He was going to feel that burn through his nose if he kept drinking like that. Laurent did notice that each man had a marking, an X, on their forearm. No, it wasn’t a tattoo but a brand. Perhaps that was the sign that indicated a troop. 

With his finger Laurent tapped the wood of the bar to grab Gerome’s attention, subtly drawing an x pattern over itself until Gerome nodded in understandment. When the bartender noticed the tapping Laurent simply ordered another drink; only to see a similar burn on his forearm when he returned with another ale. This couldn’t be a coincidence. 

At the booth, Owain had been admiring the decorations of the local establishment, a lot of weapons on the walls. Must be trophies. “Perhaps I should check the restroom” He suggested, wanting to be as helpful as he could...even if he didn’t know what to look for. There wasn’t a bookshelf here where he could just pull and hope it would make way to a secret chamber. Oh he’s always wanted to try that. 

“Couldn’t hurt” Severa shrugged, “If you don’t come out in ten minutes we’ll send Brady to save you” Brady nudged her side with his elbow, “I said if!”

Owain laughed as he left the table, these two could be so silly. He hardly even noticed Gerome leave Laurent at the bar to join him in the bathroom. When closed the door he had been surprised that someone else was there. “Oh! You gave me a fright” So much for warrior senses. The man had to put his hand on his chest to catch his breath.

Gerome stepped past Owain to make sure none of the stalls were occupied, when he deemed the coast clear he spoke, “Brands in the shape of an X” Wasn’t the most original. Gerome tapped his armored forearm to show Owain the location, “We think that’s who we’re looking for” 

Back at the booth, Brady noticed a certain someone sitting at the far end of the bar and had to quickly slink down in his seat as much as possible. “Aw shit!” He cursed, he did not want to be seen. Not here. Not with Owain. 

“What? Ugh! What!?” Severa repeated, trying to keep her voice down to an angry hiss at how idiotic he looked. She did not want to be seen with someone who made himself look so stupid. They weren’t supposed to be drawing attention after all. She followed his gaze to the bar and squeaked, “Is that who I think it is?”

Lucina frowned at the pair before them. This was almost comical if they weren’t grown adults. “Who?” She tried to turn herself, as she had been facing away from the bar, to see who could garner such a reaction from the pair. 

“Oh do not!” Severa desperately reached forward to grab her hand so Lucina would stop being Mrs. Obvious. A full body turn? Rookie mistake in people watching. “He’s going to know that we’re talking about him”

“Who?” Lucina repeated, this was getting old very fast for her. 

Brady rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a deep reluctant sigh, “I uh, that’s Byron, a guy I made out with in an alley outside of Gamecocks. Crap crap crap. What if he sees me? Gah, this is freakin’ awkward”

Lucina’s brows rose at the admission, so Owain wasn’t the first man Brady had been with in a romantic sense. Not that she would ever qualify making out in an alleyway romantic. “What is Gamecocks?”

Of course Lucina didn’t know. As if that was what needed to be focused on at the moment, “It’s a place where men can meet men” Severa explained, this so wasn’t the point, “When we were trying to move on we thought it would be something fun to try. Brady was a total hit there”

“I see….” The princess knew Severa and Brady were going through great lengths to try and get over their perspective loves, it hurt her to even think about Severa trying to put herself out there for others. “Did you happen to go to any lady bars?” The question soft, meek, for the usually confident leader. 

“Ey!” Brady cut off Severa before she could even answer that, “Ain’t the time for that. I’m the one with the crisis here! What’am I gonna do?” He put his elbow up on the table, trying to use the length of his arm and hand to cover his face and distinctive scar. “Sev ya gotta help me”

“Leave it to me” She knew he wasn’t going to get up and actually let her out, so she had to crawl over him to get out of the walls end of the booth. “I am a tacticians daughter after all” With that the ginger girl left the table with a smirk plastered on her face. She was determined to kill two birds with one stone.

Brady let out a sigh, scooting into Severa’s old seat to try and hide himself better, “We didn’t go to any lady bars” He wanted to ease Lucina’s mind, he could tell that was all she was thinking of, “Ya got nothin’ to worry about. Her heart beats for yeh and only fer yeh” He couldn’t help but laugh, “That and she doesn’t have game” When Lucina’s brows furrowed in confusion, “Girl can’t flirt for shit”

Determined to help her friend out of a humiliatingly awkward situation Severa saddled up next to Laurent, taking the seat that Gerome once occupied. “I need you to do me a huge favor”

Laurent turned his head to her, perplexed at what she could possibly be asking, right now they were on a mission to save the town. “What is it?” It was safe to always be wary when the young warrior asked anything remotely sounding like a favor. 

“There’s a man at the edge of the bar. Blondie, real cute” She used her head to try and skillfully point him out without looking too obvious, “I need you to distract him with your charm. I don’t know how. Tell him facts, do some magic tricks, I don’t care”

Laurent didn’t look amused, but followed her obvious gesturing to the man anyway, no brand. “Why am I doing this?” 

“I think you would be a super cute couple?” She lied through her teeth, Laurent wasn’t an idiot.

“The Baker’s son from the bar and I?” Laurent could see the hope in Severa’s eyes, that he would actually go along with whatever silly little plan she had, “I believe Brady is more his type. No”

“Oh come on!” There was the famous pout Severa was well known for, it always managed to get her way, “Take one for the team. If you won’t do it for Brady, do it for Owain”

“Now I’m really convinced to go over there” Laurent simply gave her a look, Severa sighed, she knew how much she was asking. “I don't play games with the heart” He wasn't going to pretend to be interested in someone, “I do however enjoy puzzles” This was Brady’s problem, not his. Besides, they were here on a mission.

“Ugh of course you would” Puzzles were so lame and boring. Right up Laurents alley. Severa got up from the barstool as Gerome returned to the pair of gingers, “Hey Gerome…”

“No” All it took was one glance at Laurent’s expression to know that he wanted no part of whatever she was going to ask for. Gerome faced himself away from her, right now he was trying to do his best to count the amount of brand’s in the room, that was the reason why they were there after all. 

“Ugh fine” Severa left the two men so she could walk around the bar, trying to get the bartender’s attention. Her mission failed, the least she could do was return to the table with a round of ale. As she waited for the slow bartender to fill up four tankards she watched Inigo as he tried to flirt with Kjelle. 

“So you’re saying if I win” Inigo rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, past his elbow, “You’ll go on a proper date with me?”

Kjelle nodded, having stripped of her top armor for the occasion, she placed her elbow on the table, her hand waiting. “Sure, but you won’t win” A confident smirk played on her face. 

With the tension building Cynthia looked from Inigo to Kjelle and back, a huge grin plastered on her face. “You can do it Inigo!”

“He’s not going to do it” Nah frowned at the exchange, her arms folded. The girl was beyond irritated at this point, she couldn’t even convince the bartender that she was of age to drink. Watching Inigo try and try again to be with Kjelle had been exhausting for the dragon girl. Clearly she wasn’t interested. Nah almost felt bad about the impending humiliation. Almost.

Inigo grabbed Kjelle’s hand, how hard could an arm wrestle be? “3….2…..1” The swordsman put all of his strength into his arm, willing for it to champion him a date. He gritted his teeth….and nothing. No matter how much upper body strength he had put into it, her arm didn’t budge, only to be put out of his misery with thunderous bang against the table. “...Ow….”

“Better luck next time Romeo” Kjelle boastfully laughed, as the three girls around her clapped in her victory. She stood, and bowed as if putting on an elaborate show. An undefeated record still stands. 

“I’ll take that action” A drunken man from the table beside them approached, five men behind him watched on. Earlier he was involved with trying to get his friend to chug as much ale as he possibly could in 30 seconds, but this? This could be a fun….”If I win, you have to kiss me” The men behind him, ‘oooooed’ at the challenge he threw down. 

Inigo stood to face this crude ruffian only to find that the challenger loomed over him in height. No, he’s faced worse risen than this, a bully would not intimidate him. He must defend the honor of his friends, especially those of the fairer sex, “Don’t speak to her that way” he narrowed his eyes at the man. 

Kjelle may’ve considered the gesture sweet if she couldn’t handle herself. “Inigo, it’s fine” Her ego was going to be her downfall one of these days, “If I win, you take your buddies and leave us the hell alone” She didn’t think that was unfair, really, she just wanted them away from Cynthia and Morgan. With the way the man had been licking his lips his intentions were all too clear. Gross.

The ruffian shoulder checked Inigo, taking a seat at the table across from the paladin, a confident smirk for someone missing a couple of front teeth. Cynthia gasped seeing a red x burned into his arm, no weapon could have done that to him in battle, she nudged Morgan beside her. The man noticed the two young women’s interest in his arm, “This, nah it’s nothin”

Nah wasn’t entirely convinced, she remained silent as she stood slowly to stand beside Inigo, holding his arm. She observed that each man cheering their friend on also sported a similar brand. She pursed her lips in anticipation, nothing good would come of this. Laurent and Gerome also seemed to notice the tension building from Kjelle’s little gamble. Good. They would have backup.

Kjelle with a tunnel vision focus she grabbed onto the man’s hand. No, this wasn’t going to be as easy as destroying Inigo...with her jaw clenched she eased into it. With the amount of strength this man seemed to have it led to a more endurance based game. They were at a stand still for a couple of painstakingly long minutes. She barely noticed anyone else entering the bar.

Severa finally received her tankards from the bartender, she told him to put it on Owain’s tab, the great thing about having friends with royals. She slowly turned to make her way back to the table, trying to keep all of the liquids in the cups. That was when she felt it, an unwanted hand, belonging to one of the men that just entered the bar, on her ass. Drinks be damned. 

By the time she turned around to beat him in the face with the pewter tankard, Lucina had already leapt from the table, grabbed his hand and slammed him into the bar. “You don’t EVER touch her like that” 

Wow. That was hot...but Severa’d have to replay that moment on repeat in her mind later. Right now she took the four cups in her hand and turned them upside down. Unleashing what was left of it’s contents onto his head before using one to slam into his head. “Jerk”

It was as if that caused a chain reaction. The sounds of Lucina and Severa tag team attacking a man broke Kjelle’s focus long enough to be overpowered by the ruffian before her. Going back on her word she saw this as an opportunity to strike, reeling her fist back to punch the man in the nose. Hell if she was going to kiss this brute of a guy. The five drunken friends of the man sprung into action. Quick on his feet, Inigo dodged a sloppy lunge, only to grab his arm and swing him into his friends. They’d be fine but it gave a chance for Morgan, Cynthia and Kjelle to get to their feet and join the fray.

“You can’t transform!” Lucina called to Nah, specifically, ducking under a punch. The man that assaulted Severa had brought friends. Owain and Brady were quick to leave their post to assist. “You’re too big, we don’t want to cause more damage to the village!”

“Ugh. Fine.” Nah didn’t want to be a sitting duck. Kjelle picked up a chair to slam down into a ruffian. It gave Nah the chance to dart to the wall and pick up one of the torches, standing on a table she stole a patron’s tankard taking in a giant swig and holding it in her mouth until two men tried to grab at her feet. Bad move. She brought the torch to her mouth and blew, the sudden burst of flame wasn’t very big...but big enough to catch onto the men’s shirts. Now that’s thinking like a dragon.

Yarne, however, could transform due to his slender size. With the beast in the fray he was able to assist Lucina, Severa, Owain and Brady. It also instantly put the biggest target on his back. Noire on the other hand, tried her best to remain hidden...she needed to survey every detail of the place in order to get the perfect shot.

“Skin the beast! I want it skinned and turned into a rug” One of the largest men commanded, sending a powerful elbow into Brady’s jaw, knocking the man back into the bar. He must have been the leader of the pack.

With the sound of all the commotion, a shelf against the back wall moved, revealing a hidden room filled with around twenty to thirty brigands. “I knew it!” Owain pointed dramatically at the entrance, okay so it wasn’t in the bathroom, but after taking Brady to a secret bar he knew the possibility of hidden rooms. 

Gerome took this opportunity to throw a hand axe into the wall by the hidden entrance. It wasn’t a kill move but it sure startled the first man trying to enter the main area. Laurent perfectly in tune with the masked man sent a powerful arcwind spell into the brigands to keep them at bay. “We’ll hold them off” 

The Wyvern rider ran forward, picking his hand axe from the wall as he stood in the doorway. He was going to body block the reinforcements from coming in. Morgan knew that she could assist better in this situation so she left Cynthia’s side to join Laurent in casting spells to shoot past Gerome’s shoulders and into the hidden room.

Breaking out of his daze Brady shook his head, “I’m gonna need a drink after this” He hated the physical violence as he tended to lose most fights. Noticing that Byron, his old...whatever, was currently backing away from a man carrying a dagger Brady had to spring into action. Using hs healing staff he clocked the man in the back of the head to knock him out. Sure it was a dirty move but it at least saved the unarmed baker. “Ya alright? Ey stay close to me”

Byron’s eyes widened, Brady wasn’t someone he expected to see again, “My hero” He smiled wide…...oh no. All Brady wanted to do was the right thing and now it’s just going to be awkward.

Severa, Lucina and Owain showed their finesse in battling, sure they didn’t have their trusty swords but something about punching felt so satisfying. At one point Severa tackled a man to the ground and hit him until he conked out. Lucina periodically checked over her shoulder when she could to make sure her younger sister was okay. With Kjelle at her side, an older sister could breathe easy. Owain actually found himself having a bit of fun. With everything going on with his father, he could use some time to blow off some steam. Heck, he even followed Kjelle’s mindset and swung a chair at a man. What a great feeling; to hit someone with a wooden chair.

Yarne had been the one facing the group’s leader head on. In his beast form he was arguably one of the biggest threats amongst the young shepherds. With a powerful kick to Yarne’s shoulder, the Taguel man was knocked onto his back. Smirking the man grabbed an axe from the wall, he was determined to take the beast’s head. He raised a powerful arm up, ready to make his strike when an arrow pierced through his chest from behind. The leader only had a moment to turn and take a look at his assailant. For shame. A quiet woman using a piano to cover most of her body….that was what did him in. The man’s legs gave in….dead before he even hit the ground.

At the sound of a body drop the rest of the tavern halted it’s fight. Any man with a red x on their arm slowed their attacks to a stop. They didn’t want to die….they didn’t even have a leader to follow. Severa took one last jab upon the man who dared to touch her inappropriately. She had no sympathy for these thugs. As Yarne transformed back into a more appealing state, Noire was already at his side, wrapping her arms around her fiance, so relieved that he was unharmed. 

“Your leader is dead” Lucina spoke to band of brigands, “Your hold on this village is over. You’re done” As she made her way across the tavern, she allowed her Shepherds to herd the brigands together. “Where are we going to put them?”

“There’s a prison that’ll do” Gerome simply nodded to Laurent, “We’ll take them. Make sure they stay put until we regroup”

“I should go with you…” The princess was going to continue a long winded response of why she, the leader of the group should see it through, only to be cut off by Laurent resting a hand on her shoulder. 

“Celebrate the victory” Laurent handed Gerome a rope from his satchel, it was in case of emergency, though trying all of the criminal’s wrists proved to also be a good function. Really, he and Gerome could both use peace and quiet away from this tavern scene. They weren’t exactly the social type.

“Let’s celebrate!” Inigo was quick to move to the bar, scooting himself along the wood of the countertop and landing on his feet gracefully. “Oh oh before you leave my friends” He quickly poured shot sized glasses for everyone, including Gerome and Laurent. “I think we should make a toast….to Yarne and Noire”

Noire flushed a bright red, she wasn’t used to the attention. Yarne could only sheepishly laugh, rubbing the back of his neck, “Awh you guys shouldn’t have”

Severa draped an arm around her meek friend’s shoulders. She couldn’t believe the woman who single handedly ended a bar brawl with an arrow through the chest would be so afraid of going to the bathroom in the woods by herself, “Are you kidding? That was badass!”

“....We’re toasting their engagement Severa” Inigo explained, passing out the small cups, even one to the guy Brady stuck his neck out to save. “To love. May you find the comfort and warmth in your partner. And may your bond to one another stay strong through these trying times of war”

The group happily took their shot, except for Gerome who seemed to be more neutral about it. This was the first time in a long time the entire group shared a drink together...shared anything remotely resembling what could be a normal life. Right here thirteen young adults, best friends, celebrating two of their own getting married soon...a rarity. A future to fight for. 

Once Laurent and Gerome kindly took all of the criminals out of the tavern, the Shepherd’s could finally let loose and party. Yarne found a sturdy chair to sit in, some chairs didn’t make it through the fight. He extended his arms so Noire could sit on his lap and enjoy being in an embrace. Nah sat at the bar, watching as Inigo played bartender. Which was more like, watch Inigo try to serve guinea pigs Cynthia and Morgan mixed drinks to see what combinations would even be good...most were not.

Kjelle heartily laughed, sending her princess a thumbs up as Severa took Lucina by the hand and quickly made way to the ladies room. “Crazy kids”

“Why’re they rushing to the bathroom?” Cynthia asked, confused at why Severa would want to take Lucina if she really had to pee. Maybe Cynthia was the weird one and liked using the restroom by herself. 

“If Severa’s anything like me” Kjelle sat next to Nah at the bar, “Nothin’ like a battle to get you in the mood if you know what I’m saying”

“....Is that so?” Inigo chuckled tossing a towel back on his shoulder, smirking at Kjelle, “Can I interest you in some tension relief?”

Nah groaned, holding the bridge of her nose, “You can interest me in another drink”

Across the bar Owain found Brady talking to a civilian, there weren’t many of those left at the tavern, “Oh hello” He greeted, oblivious to the tension between the two men before him. “I’m glad to see that you are unharmed. That battle got a little carried away” Nah was breathing alcohol fire onto people after all. 

“Brady here saved me” Owain didn’t miss the way Byron’s hand brushed up against Brady...his Brady’s arm. Oh Owain knew the subtle flirting well. He sat through Inigo’s flirting 101: how to pick up women lecture. “Now I can see why you have such great abs”

Brady wanted to curl up and die in this exact moment, he cleared his throat, god why did Severa have to leave him here? Damn her burning loins. “So I-ah. Byron this is Owain”

“His boyfriend” He told his family, his friends all knew, he had absolutely no shame in letting a complete stranger know. The prince offered his hand to shake, so it was a power move, no one could complement Brady’s abs but him. 

Byron’s expression sobered realizing exactly what that made him. The nothing. He took Owain’s hand and shook it, “Byron…” Once his hand was released he smiled, truly proud of Brady for coming out...even if he couldn’t be with him. “Congratulations”

“I gotta ask” Brady rubbed the back of his neck, he really hated being in the middle of things, hell he didn’t think it was worth it. “What’re you even doin’ here?”

“My family is from here actually” Byron explained, “My brothers and I heard of the news, that our home town had been taken over. There’s actually a twin town...these thugs wrangled all the people from this village and held them over there. I managed to escape, so I returned here looking for anyone that could help me”

“That explains the missing population….” Owain could be jealous and sympathize at the same time, he could multitask well. “Good news, our parents are actually over there as we speak rescuing your family” He motioned for Inigo to stop freaking flirting with Kjelle and pay attention to them. “Get us a round of drinks! We’re going to celebrate” He wrapped a free arm around Brady’s waist, so he was a little petty.

“Looks like we came here at the right time” Sully’s voice boomed through the near empty tavern. She along with, Nowi, Donnel, Ricken and Robin arrived. Since their group on the road split up, Robin thought it was best to catch up to this town in case they needed any back up. It appeared they didn’t. “Twinkle toes get me a drink” She pointed at the boy as she walked by the bar, she needed to pee, stat.

Nowi already had her arms wrapped around a begrudgingly embarrassed Nah. Ricken and Donnel sat down at a table, just glad to finally glad that they were able to take a break from traveling and fighting. “Yoohoo two drinks over here” Donnel whistled for Inigo to get them some ale. 

“.....Where’s Lucina and Severa?” Robin asked, as he approached the bar. The foursome had just come from the prison where Gerome and Laurent pointed them in this direction. It concerned him that the only two missing from the group was his flesh and blood….and her girlfriend. 

************************************************************************************************

The moment the bathroom door closed behind them Severa attached her lips onto her girlfriend’s. Severa needed this badly after that fight, especially seeing the way Lucina got so defensive….over her. With a hand behind Lucina’s neck, Severa led them further and further from the door, not wanting to break the kiss.

Lucina didn’t even realize until she felt her back against the wall that the smaller girl managed to configure her around a room. “We should be celebrating with our friends, isn’t this selfish?” 

Ugh the princess was so damn selfless. It was annoying. Hmm...now what could make Lucina want to stay in a bathroom? Severa took Lucina’s hands and guided them to her derrière. Bless the creation of leather pants. “Is it selfish for me to want to thank you?” 

“...You don't need to thank me...” Lucina would have done that for anyone, that's what being a hero has been all about. Seeing an annoyed expression before her, Lucina laughed, “I should stop talking?”

“You should definitely stop talking” Severa found a better use for Lucina’s lips, she thought this would be a good opportunity for their tongues to get to know each other better. Lucina couldn't judge Brady for making out with a man in an alleyway anymore, she never expected that she would be doing this in a tavern bathroom. Needing more contact, Lucina used her well placed hands to pull her girlfriend closer. 

“Well hot damn!” The two girls didn't hear the door swing open, but Sully always liked to make her presence known. “I gotta use the can, but don't let me stop you!” She laughed at how embarrassed the girls were as they pulled apart from one another. The downside of making out in a bathroom….people need to use it. “By the by, your fathers out there”

Knowing how the groups split up Severa’s eyes widened. Oh no. “Oh gawds!” She quickly kissed her girlfriend one last time before exiting the bathroom. She didn't want him to have an inkling of suspicion to how quickly her relationship was moving.

Sully couldn't stop laughing, which really did a number on her bladder. These kids. “You don't have to be embarrassed at a damn thing” she battled with the young princess multiple times, and she's never witnessed her look this horrified. “The raunchiest place I've ever…”

“Please do not finish that sentence” she knew that Sully was only trying to make her feel better about being caught but some information was better left a mystery. This was Kjelle’s mother after all. “I think it's been enough time” Lucina removed herself from what could be a painfully awkward conversation by physically exiting the room...much to Sully’s relief. 

Lucina smiled, her friends couldn't relax like this often so she was taking in the sights. Morgan and Cynthia left the bar to go play the unattended piano. Yarne, Donnel, Ricken and Noire were busy retelling how the battle went down, and how Noire was the one to end it all. Inigo had been enjoying the attention of three beautiful women, and making them laugh. Lucina really wished he let this side of his personality shine more. Owain, Brady and this Byron fellow were making small talk and drinking ale out of tankards. Owain had sat himself in the middle of the pair for good measure.

The princess joined Severa and her father at the other end of the bar. “A pleasure for you to join us” she smiled at what could one day be her father in law. Lucina always had a high respect for Robin, and Cordelia for that matter. 

“Are you feeling better?” Robin’s expression laced with concern, well he at least didn't seem to know what they had been doing in the bathroom. “Severa said she had to hold your hair back. Now, I understand you must not drink very often…” Robin snapped his fingers to try and get Inigo’s attention, “Only serve Lucina water from now on”

With Robin’s attention on Inigo the girls were able to make an exchange of glances. Severa mouthed a ‘sorry’ to Lucina’s glare. So much for being able to celebrate like the rest of the group. “My poor princess can't hold her alcohol” Severa choked back a laugh, rubbing comforting circles into her girlfriend's back.

From across the bar Owain watched Robin interact with his daughter and her girlfriend...he genuinely enjoyed being around Lucina and it was as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He wanted that. Taking another swig of his drink he sighed, “Do you think my father and mother aren’t here because of me?”

“You can’t think like that” Brady shook his head, “Lissa’s a healer and Frederick’s a beast of a warrior” Byron still seemed confused that all of the ‘parents’ that they’re speaking of all looked to be about their age, “They’re probably helpin’ Chrom get that village back”

“....I guess….” Owain motioned for Inigo to come over and pour him another drink. “I just thought it’d be different, you know?”

“Oh Frederick’ll get that stick out of his ass soon enough” Sully grabbed a corner seat of the bar so she could still sit near her daughter. “Don’t you worry your pretty head” Owain looked up to the woman, how could she say something like this? “You just saved a village from thugs, celebrate small victories”

The young prince never expected to get such great advice from Sully of all people but she did have a point. He was with Brady, all of his friends were safe and heck they were going to celebrate Yarne and Noire getting engaged. No, there wasn’t going to be a pity party for Owain tonight. He stood up on his stool, Brady’s hand hovering behind him to try and steady him, “Come round the bar everyone” He needed to get the groups attention, “Yarne, Noire...from the bottom of my heart I am ecstatic for you” Now he couldn’t get his good speeches out of the way at an engagement party, “I propose a drinking game!”

“Lucina isn’t drinking tonight” Robin spoke up, the fatherly instincts taking over, he didn’t see the princess sending Severa a severe glare.

“Then she can pour the drinks and keep us honest” Owain wasn’t sure why Lucina couldn’t drink but he supposed she had a good reason.

“What’re we playing?” Sully grinned, hell she wouldn’t say no to a beer and a competition. The question made Owain pause….they didn’t exactly have the time of day for such adult games. “Oh shit alright gather round”

Between Sully and Donnel the two were able to come up with games that would last the entire night. The pair split up the group into teams and lined up tankards. Each member of the team have to chug their entire drink before the next person could go and so on and so forth until the last member of the team could drink. Kjelle had been so excited that she could drink with her mother so freely, maybe she was biased but Sully was the coolest to be around. At one point in the night Nowi, wearing Ricken’s hat, had grown tired and fell asleep in one of the booths. Owain and Inigo bet that Noire wouldn’t be able to hit a target after so much to drink. The one that surprised everyone in her drinking skills was Cynthia...until it all hit her and she needed to throw up. Lucina being the “sober sister” followed her into the bathroom and took care of her. To Robin it seemed like neither of the future exalts could hold their alcohol, his comment sending Severa into an uncontrollable laugh. 

The night’s festivities continued when Inigo found a deck of cards behind the bar. Donnel taught everyone some games they played on the farm. All of the kids agreed that they wouldn’t dare play a round of I Never around the likes of anyone that would be considered a parent. Donnel’s version of poker proved to be the safest neutral game.

Cordelia and Sumia arrived well into the night. Since their party had taken the other town back, Chrom wanted to relay the good news to the rest of the group...and to make sure that Lucina and the children were okay. Robin stumbled up from his chair and greeted his wife with a kiss, Morgan reacting with an ‘aw’ while Severa mustered an ‘ugh’. Lucina mixed the two women a drink, having an entire night to practice. Chrom was going to owe the owners of this establishment a lot of money.

“We come with good news” Sumia smiled, taking a seat at the bar...poker was not her game of choice, “We’re going to stay here a couple of extra days, help the villages get back onto their feet.” Mostly keep them protected as well. “Chrom informed the mayor of the other village that two of our own were engaged...and if you’re interested in a wedding”

“A real wedding?” Noire looked to her fiance, who just seemed dumbfounded by the information. The shy girl could feel the heat on her face as everyone in the bar turned to wait for her response. “Yarne what do you think?”

“If a reception is anything like tonight” The Taguel man laughed, the alcohol well in his system. He took Noire’s hands and got down on one knee, “Noire, all that matters to me is that we’re going to get married. Because you…..you are my rock”

“Focus buddy” Owain tried to encourage Yarne from a distance...the group had a lot to drink and the Prince could tell that he was a little off. 

“We could get married in a courthouse, on a boat, in a field or a barn as long as I have you as my wife...nothing else will matter” He kissed her hand, “But just think this through. We can have a real wedding here...with all of our friends and my mom” He blinked, “And your mom will be there. Oh and our dads and” Looking up he seemed to focus on her forehead, “We can have a day where we put down our weapons and um…” God this was so much easier sober, “Be married?”

Noire could only smile fondly at her soon to be husband, he meant well, she didn’t really need to think about her answer. He was right. This was their opportunity to have something they couldn’t even dream of in the world they came from. So much death and destruction...if they had a chance for one perfect day to be together she was going to take it. “Okay, let’s do it...let’s get married”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this chapter was kind of filler....it's all to set up for Wedding :D


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With only a day before Yarne and Noire's wedding preparations must be made. Expectations are running high

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter took a little longer then I'd like. Hope you all enjoy this one :) we're almost to the end

The Shepherds had been welcomed into the twin villages with open arms, letting them use one of the town squares as a venue for a wedding was the least they could do for the rescue. Chrom and Robin both agreed that they had the time to spend to rebuild and fortify the village. It not only allowed this village to get back on it’s feet, but it gave the army a chance to come up for air. War weighed heavily on their shoulders, they all deserved a small break. 

Talks of the wedding spread like wildfire throughout the camp igniting excitement in it’s path. People volunteered left and right to lend their hand and help. Noire felt very overwhelmed by all of the attention...mother dearest wasn’t exactly the most helpful. In fact, the mother of the bride let the power get to her head. She found she could get anything she wanted with the locals with the simple phrase, “It’s for the Bride”. Panne could only reluctantly shake her head, oh of course the future of her race would now see Tharja as a grandmother. Now there was a scary thought.

Lucina thought this would be a great opportunity for the three women of the royal family to connect. She invited Sumia and Cynthia to search for a dress, this was a wedding after all. With everyone only carrying essentials to war, well, wardrobe hadn’t exactly been prepared for such a formal occasion. In the Eastern town the women were able to find a boutique that for the large part hadn’t been looted by the Brigands; seems they weren’t interested in women’s formal attire.

Cynthia jumped at the opportunity to do something girly for a change; back in the future she used to be all about this life...the frills, the perks, tea times, the hair Cynthia loved being a princess; until the horrible day her mother died. It forced Cynthia to grow up and pick up a spear and armor, she couldn’t enjoy being the girly princess anymore, it hurt too much to think that her mother wouldn’t be there anymore. Right here however, gave her a reminder to what her life used to be before the darkness, when she could smile and laugh with her mother and sister. 

The youngest princess stepped out from behind a screen now wearing a sky blue dress, slender to show off her thin waist and flowing into a wide bell shaped bottom short enough that it didn’t cover her knees. “What do you think?” She sent her mother and sister a toothy smile, anxiously awaiting what they would have to say. It had been so long since she had the opportunity to even wear a dress...she wanted this to be perfect.

“You look beautiful” Sumia smiled fondly at her youngest daughter, how could someone so young and innocent have to pick up a blade and fight? God, neither Lucina nor Cynthia were the ones getting married and Sumia could feel herself getting emotional over it. “I think that’s perfect” And with a shorter length there was less risk that Cynthia would trip over fabric and hurt herself. She really did get Sumia’s unfortunate coordination.

“I like the color, I think it suits you very well” Lucina would have personally chosen different for her younger sister, but she could tell how happy the dress she chose made her. That was what mattered at the end of the day. “But you’re going to be dancing in it, remember? Why don’t you turn around so we can get the full effect” 

“Okay!” Cynthia happily nodded for her sister, that seemed to make a lot of sense, so she did as she was told and spun her body around in a circle so her mother and sister could see the back of the garment as well. 

“Oh that was too fast” Lucina shouldn’t, she supposed her girlfriend’s behavior counted as a bad influence, “Turn slower this time” Their mother, completely oblivious to Lucina’s intentions just nodded along. It made sense to her. Lucina couldn’t help but smile widely as her sister sighed dramatically and turned her body around as slowly as possible. “That was very good! Now turn the other direction”

Just as Cynthia started to turn she wised up quickly, “Hey!” as Lucina started laughing the younger sister could only pout, “Oh stop it it’s not funny!”

“Lucina!” Surprised, Sumia scolded her eldest daughter. 

“I just wanted to see how many times she would do it. Would you say that was two or two and a half?” The older princess stepped over to her sister and rested her hands on her shoulders, “If you like this dress, really like it, then I think it’s the one for you. You look beautiful”

“Yay! Then I’m done!” Cynthia shook herself from Lucina to go stand by her mother, unable to keep still, the youngest girl’s shoulders still moved excitedly, “Lucy it’s your turn, go try on one of the dresses you picked out” 

“Okay...but I want you to be honest with me” Lucina took Cynthia’s place behind the screen so she could start to change, only planning to ask for help if she needed one of the other women to zip her into a garment. 

Sumia waited with Cynthia, a bit worried to what her daughter would be coming up with. She loved Lucina with all of her heart but….where this girl picked up her sense of fashion was beyond her. She could only brace herself for anticipation, already trying to find the words to let her down easily. 

Cynthia wasn’t as tactful as her mother, the young girl called to Lucina, “If it’s bright orange put it aside!” She whispered to her mother next to her, “I saw what she had picked out when I was changing...eesh. Do you think the brand on her eye made her colorblind?” When Sumia sent her that mom-look Cynthia could only shrug, “It’s a valid question!”

Sumia wanted to help, Lucina clearly didn’t have much experience dressing herself. Her best fashion sense came from trying to pretend to be a man, even that Sumia wasn’t totally convinced Lucina pieced the outfit together on her own. Judging how fond of patterns the girl seemed to be. 

Sumia stepped behind the partition to see that Lucina hadn’t actually started changing yet. The young woman stood before her seemingly to have limited her dress choices down to two. “Which one do you think is more appropriate for a wedding? The mint or the orange with purple stripes. I know Cynthia doesn’t like the bright orange but I think it really pops”

There was no right answer to this. Sumia’s hand traveled to her mouth as she took in both of the dresses that her daughter currently held out for her judgement. The orange one instantly had to go. It was a crime against the sense of sight. The mint wasn’t terrible, in theory. Mint green could make a lovely color for a wedding. Like Cynthia’s light blue a pastel worked well to fit a spring theme. Though the style...Why would a dress have that many ruffles at the sleeve?

“You hate them both” Lucina didn’t allow her mother a chance to actually weigh in her opinion, she could tell by the look on her face that she disliked them. Why did no one understand? This was why she wanted her mother and sister here to weigh in. “Why is this so difficult?” Lucina ran fingers through her hair, her posture giving it away that there was more on her mind then what outfit she would be wearing. 

Sumia picked up on it and stepped forward, rubbing her daughter’s upper arms to try and soothe her spirits, “Hey, what’s wrong? We can find a dress together...Cynthia too. It’s okay, you don’t have to be upset over this”

“I’m not upset” Lucina bit back perhaps a little too fiercely, relenting she sighed, she didn’t mean to be so curt with her mother. “I just...I need this night to be perfect. I want to make it special, for her”

“Oh honey...Noire is just going to be happy that you’ll be there to support her on her big day” When Lucina’s expression flashed confusion, Sumia realized ‘her’ didn’t refer to Noire. “You mean Severa...I see...” Oh wow, Sumia was definitely not prepared to have this conversation about her best friend’s daughter and her daughter. “Are you sure you’re ready for um” Sumia clapped her hands together, no word would suffice to be a good word, “Intercourse?” She grimaced as the word slipped from her tongue, instant regret. Of all words to settle on. She thanked all that was holy that Cynthia wasn’t in earshot. “Sex? Um….making love?”

“Mother, please stop!” Despite being a princess she couldn’t handle how uncomfortable a set of words suddenly made her felt. She brought her hands to her ears, her face reddening by the second. Lucina had to turn her body away from her mother, pretending to look at the dresses she picked out again just so she wouldn’t have to look at the other woman’s face. “This isn’t something I’ve taken lightly...yes I’m ready. I love her, and I want to experience this with her. It’s our first time, what possibly could make for a more romantic night? Dressing up...candlelit dinner, dancing under the stars? Everything would just fit right into place”

“I see” To Sumia, her daughter in this timeline was only a baby...nothing like the brave young woman standing before her. Oh she had no time to prepare for this conversation. “Um...do you know what you’re doing?” Why wasn’t Chrom here? No, no that would make it worse probably. Sumia could feel the heat of her flushed skin, creeping up the back of her neck. 

Lucina slowly returned a dress to the garment rack, what was her mother trying to get at? She turned her head to see a very uncomfortable Pegasus Knight before her. “What do you mean?”

“You’re both girls” Sumia bit her lip, in her entire life she has never felt this uncomfortable. That included the time she tripped and fell on her wedding day for all of the kingdom to see. “I um I don’t mean to make any offense” She stepped to her daughter, not wanting her to take any sort of offense to what she implied, “I want you to be safe”

“Oh…” There was no great way of saying that she stole a scroll from her father’s tent. Miriel’s notes proved to be extremely helpful in learning what happens in the bedroom between two women. Of course she wasn’t going to tell Sumia of this, or Cynthia….perhaps not even Severa. “Yes, I know what to do” 

“Okay...I mean clearly I don’t know the logistics between” Sumia used her hands, making two v’s with her fingers to interlock. The gesture horrifying Lucina, she quickly held onto her mother’s hands just to get her to stop. “Sorry! Sorry, what I’m trying to say is that I’ve had experience with um this level of intimacy. With your father” When Lucina simply gave her a look, Sumia just wanted to hit her forehead, duh. “Which is how you and your darling sister were brought into this world. Right you knew that, I’m rambling, aren’t I? I am….I want you to know that you can come to me for anything. This is a big step for you”

It was in that moment Cynthia popped her head over the curtain, having been waiting for what felt like an eternity she wanted to see what the big deal was...only to see her mother and sister holding hands and looking like they wanted to be anywhere else in the world. Wow. Cynthia knew Lucina had the worst taste in clothes but this? “Is everything okay?”

“Yes” Sumia cleared her throat, thankful for the interruption by her youngest, “We were just deciding on what color we should look for” 

Lucina sent her mother an understanding look, also painfully relieved that her sister came into save the day. A true hero. She knew Sumia meant well, “Ah yes...the dresses I picked out seem a bit too modern” 

“Well, what color is Severa wearing?” Her mother asked, if her daughter wanted the perfect night with her girlfriend well Sumia was going to do anything in her power to make it happen. “Perhaps we can find something that could compliment it?”

“I’m not sure, actually” Lucina folded her arms, perplexed by the question, “She would wear something that would compliment her red hair” Before Cynthia could make a suggestion she continued, “Perhaps a yellow?” Sumia could only blink at her daughter, “Orange?” Cynthia loudly groaned...both women knew that they were going to be here for awhile. 

******************************************************************************

“What do you mean you don’t know how to dance?” Severa narrowed her eyes at the desperate man before her. “You’re Maribelle’s son” She knew from their former conversations that he still went through a lot of the prim and proper lessons growing up. Brady knew how to play chess, which fork went with which dish, and of course he could play the violin so gracefully. It was hard for her to believe that he didn’t know how to dance. 

“Ah” Brady rubbed the back of his neck, the two were in the Western town square, taking a break from decorating for the wedding. “Well it ain’t that I don’t know how to dance I don’t….how do I dance with another guy? We both can’t lead” He bit his lip, feeling uncomfortable asking, but he could trust Severa with anything on his mind. “They don’t teach ya that”

“....Huh” Severa didn’t think of that aspect before, she had been sitting on a brick wall, at least that way she could be at eye level with her best friend. “How am I supposed to help with that?” Lucina was the princess in the situation, which meant she would be the one to lead? Or because she was a princess she shouldn’t lead the dance? Great now Brady was making her nervous about this whole damn thing. 

“I thought maybe we could practice?” Brady asked hopeful, he felt too embarrassed going to Inigo about this. “Go over some steps? C’mon, I don’t want to make a damn fool outta myself out there. Please?”

“Fine, fine, but you owe me” Severa hopped off of her perch, taking Brady’s hand and pulling him away from the cobblestone path and toward an area with a flatter surface. Severa wasn’t going to risk him being dumb and twisting an ankle. “Okay uh” Their height difference was clearly striking. 

Brady sighed, he took Severa’s right hand and wrapped it around to caress his back, before then placing his left hand on her right shoulder. “Like this” He at least knew how they were supposed to be standing for ballroom dancing. 

“This feels weird” Severa frowned looking from her shoulder, up to him, and back, “Are you sure this is right?”

“Course it’s right!” He sighed and switched their positions so his hand would be on Severa’s back, showing how the position would be if he were leading the dance, “Y’see?”

“Well maybe if you weren’t so freaking tall!” She bit back, glad that she moved them from the center of town. Gawds she would never hear the end of it from the others, “Okay ugh” She shuffled out of his grasp before resuming their original position. “Okay...I’m not twirling you”

Brady couldn’t help but let out a laugh to how ridiculous he was feeling, maybe he shouldn’t have asked Severa, especially when she started trying to lead and ended up stepping on his foot, “Yowch! Ya gotta be kiddin’ me!” 

“What!? Oh don’t blame me for you not moving!” It wasn’t as if there was music to actually follow, “Maybe you should pick up your feet instead of gawk”

“Awh real romantic! Is this how yer gonna sweep Lucina off her feet?” Brady narrowed his eyes, his foot still aching in pain, man that girl stepped with purpose, “Just freakin’ count when ya step”

“Ugh” Severa sighed, “One……….two…….”

Brady stepped back twice, “Ya gotta count faster than that”

An irritated Severa bit back her response, “How often do you think I dance?” It wasn’t as if they had the opportunities. Even before the world went to hell, men weren’t lining up to ask her for a dance. Not that she’d say yes. 

Then it dawned on him, “....Shit...do ya even know how to dance?” He stared at his friend with wide eyes, “Awh I’m sorry I didn’t realize that-”

“Stop, just stop, before you give me your little pity party” Severa was half tempted to step on his foot again, “I don’t like dancing, okay? I feel like an idiot and really all it is just winging it until it’s over” It was much easier to follow a dance than to lead, “It’s stupid”

“Because y’ve never danced with someone who’s made it worth it” Brady decided he would just have to ask Laurent later for actual advice on how to follow a dance, right now Severa was going to need a bit of a confidence boost. “Do ya trust me?” Severa could only nod a response, he took her hand in his, his free hand wrapping around her waist. 

“...Careful, people are going to think we’re starting to date again” Severa couldn’t help but make a comment as Brady started to hum a tune, just something that they could step to. Brady always kept his talents close to his chest, especially the ones taught to him by his mother years ago. There was a time he hated all of this fancy stuff, now he embraced it, especially being able to have tea time with his mother again. 

Brady stepped along with the hummed tune, going slow enough for Severa to catch onto the pattern. He could see in her eyes that she seemed to be calculating his next steps, still unsure of herself. She was focusing too much on her steps and not letting it be natural. He broke her concentration by dipping her, “Get the stick outta yer ass”

Once he pulled her back up, Severa only gave him a look, “Oh how romantic, is that how you’re going to get Owain in the bedroom tomorrow?” She couldn’t help it, he left that wide open for her to snark back. 

Brady couldn’t prevent the flush creeping up on his neck, “Gah shut up will ya! We’re not-we’re takin’ things slow. This is all new fer him” Heck this was all new to him too, he wasn’t ready to take things too fast. As excited as he was for the wedding he wanted to take things at a comfortable pace for the both of them. 

Severa wrapped her arms around his neck, since he seemed to prefer a slower pace, “How are things with him?“ He moved his hands to hold her hips, “...With Frederick?”

Brady shook his head, of course Owain wasn’t handling it well...the prince had spent most of his time in the distractions that the wedding provided. He’d rather avoid his father then to face more disappointment. Brady for his part did the best he could to try and comfort him in his downtime, “Not great, but ah…” He shrugged, “It’ll get better in time”

“You’re awfully optimistic” 

“I don’t get that from you” Brady couldn’t help but laugh at his own sentiment, “Everything’s just so raw still ya know?” He saw injuries on the battlefield first hand, wounds eventually heal over and become scars...this was no different. 

“Still…” Severa couldn’t help the twinge of guilt within her chest, Brady was far too good to have to deal with all of this. Sure, an absolute brute, but a softie on the inside. He didn’t deserve to have to deal with this. All he wanted was to be happy and he was finally getting there on his own terms. “...I’m sorry…”

“Ey I’m alright” Brady had grown accustomed to people not liking him, he had the people in his life that mattered the most. His mother and father loved him, he had Owain and the best friend he could ask for in Severa. If Frederick couldn’t get on the same page, then he didn’t need him. “Now c’mon what about you n’Lucina”

“Ha….” Severa rested her head on the man’s chest, mostly so she wouldn’t have to make eye contact with him. “A lady doesn’t kiss and tell”

“Oh ho” The monk laughed at her words, “You ain’t a lady” Which earned him a slap in the chest, the action only making him laugh harder. After about a solid thirty seconds of laughing he sobered up, “Seriously, are ya okay?”

Severa nodded against his chest, “Yeah...no it’s been a dream. I feel like something terrible is going to happen and I’ll wake up. She’s so…” The redhead sighed, “The idiot refuses to see me until the wedding because she claims it’ll be so romantic. I don’t deserve her”

Brady moved his hands so he could wrap his arms around her in a hug, “Sure ya do, Severa ya deserve the world”

*************************************************************************************************** 

Inigo had to dodge past a crumpled up piece of parchment as he entered Owain’s temporary quarters. The Shepherds has split up amongst themselves between the two towns to benefit both of the local inns. “Did I come at a bad time?” The young dancer questioned, approaching a frustrated prince.

Owain had been utilizing the desk provided in the room to try and write out more of a speech for the wedding. He wanted his officiating to be memorable. Owain wanted to move an audience with his words, so it had to be perfection. Practicing with Cynthia and Morgan earlier only proved that he wasn't ready.

“Owain?”

At the second call Owain snapped from his fleeting thoughts, “Oh I apologize, I didn't hear you come in. Please sit my friend”

Inigo took a seat on the foot of Owain’s bed, it didn't take him long to put two and two together, “Perhaps you should take a walk, clear your head. Inspiration won't come to you if you force it’s hand”

“I don't have time for a walk...the ceremony is tomorrow” The man did set aside his quill, it would be rude to not give his friend his full attention. “And if we are to take Yarne out tonight for a gentlemans evening, it's time I cannot afford to lose”

Inigo and Owain agreed that they should at least have last drinks with Yarne before he became a married man. To think he would be the first one to wed, it truly showed the signs that their small band of orphan misfits were growing up. This would be the last night the six men could say they were unmarried.

“Then allow me to help” Inigo considered himself a romantic, he could make a woman swoon three out of ten times with just his words. “A second set of eyes and ears could do you a service”

Owain nodded in agreement, the pair of them were arguably the most creative in the group so of course together they should be able to pull off something worthy of a wedding. “Alright, well, first of all I want to keep it light. Full of hope. Talking of our world would only put a damper on the mood” he wanted to make people cry tears of joy, not sorrow. 

“Perhaps touching on it briefly. The power of love can overcome times of war” Inigo suggested, “You cannot completely ignore the hardship, it’s the root of who we all have become”

“Hm...perhaps a tale of battle?” Owain could speak of the battlefield with ease, “A tale of a brave man overcoming his fears to protect the damsel in distress!” The prince snapped his fingers, “The tale of the rivers crossing!” He adjusted in his seat to puff out his chest, “I sing to the a tale of bravery-”

Inigo’s brow raised at his friend, “You and I both know how that battle went. Noire was the one to do the saving” And then Nah was shoved into the waters current, Inigo could never forget that his friend almost drowned. Thankfully Cynthia and her Pegasus were able to bring her to dry land where Brady could perform some magics called CPR. “Perhaps that's not the best example”

“Hm, I suppose you're right” Owain sighed, surely there must be a good story buried in a battle that he could use. “What about the battle of the mountain glen?”

Inigo shook his head, “You get too enthused about the battle. This is supposed to be romantic”

“You don't think a battle can be romantic? Fighting for love-”

“Fighting to survive” Inigo countered, “You're focusing too much on the act of combat. Mention the war yes and how it has brought them together, but spare your captive audience from talk of blood and death” this was a wedding after all, “Why don't you speak of your experiences with love”

“I don't think people want to hear of me and Brady at Noire and Yarne’s wedding” Owain frowned in confusion, “That seems a bit selfish”

“No no no. Use your personal experiences as inspiration” Inigo grinned, “Surely you can draw something from that”

Owain leaned back in his chair, folding his arms as he thought that tidbit of advice through. “With Brady...I didn't know the best thing that could happen in my life had been by my side this entire time” he explained to his friend, “He understands me like no one else. I was a fool to take this long. Chasing an idea of love…” The prince sighed, “Love was right under my nose”

His honest words brought a smile to Inigo’s face, it made him reflect on his own romantic standings, “I think you're onto the right track” He got up from his seated position so he could clamp his hands onto his friend's shoulders, “Now apply that emotion” 

Owain turned to thank Inigo when he felt the pressure relieve from his shoulders; but Inigo had already made way to the door, “You're leaving?”

“Let's just say you've inspired me” 

The prince could only guess where this could be going, “You're going to ask Kjelle to be your date for the wedding?” He really needed to give it up, for his own safety.

The smile on the young swordsman’s face remained as he shook his head no, “I'll see you tonight at the tavern. Don't worry my friend, I'll be making the toasts. Can't let you have all the glory” 

**************************************************  
Upon hearing that the men were having a gentleman's evening for Yarne; Cynthia took it upon herself to get the women together for a ladies night. Since the men were going to be occupying a bar/tavern she wanted to do something different, something more suiting for Noire. Hot springs. Gods did they need a hot soak and a chance to relax. 

It wasn't hard to convince her best friend Morgan that the idea was sound. Roping the bride to be proved a simple task. Cynthia had even been able to get Severa and Nah in on it...which only left her older sister and Kjelle. It perplexed Cynthia to no end that Kjelle didn't want to go to a hot springs with them, or more specifically, with her being there. Lucina jumped on the opportunity to avoid the outing as well, she had told Severa that she didn't want to see her until the wedding this provided for the best excuse. The princess promised her sister that she would be keeping her friend company and to send Noire high praise and best wishes.

“Do you think Kjelle’s shy?” Cynthia asked as the five women entered the changing room so they could disrobe and wrap themselves in a towel. The paladin still on Cynthia’s mind. “Maybe I should have picked a different place to celebrate”

“She must have her reasons” Morgan tried to reason with her best friend, she knew how much she wanted to make everyone happy. “I think that this is a great idea” 

Severa stepped out, a towel tightly wrapped around her body, “I have to agree with dorkus here” For once she was proud of Lucina’s younger sister, not only for getting this together but picking a place that would actually be enjoyable; not to mention relaxing. Severa could pamper herself every day of the week if she had the opportunity. “My back is going to be so happy”

“Excuse me ladies I was hoping to-” At the sound of a man in a strictly all female zone made Severa react on instinct. She reeled her first back and quickly punched forward at the intruders nose, not reacting quickly enough to recognize the man as their friend Inigo. “Ow!” He cradled his nose in his hand, praying that it wasn’t bleeding. 

“Pervert!” She spat, not feeling guilty about her reaction, “Read the sign. Women only” Severa stood protectively in front of Morgan and Cynthia, “If you came here trying to watch us-”

“No! No that’s not” He held up a hand in defense, oh how he should have thought this through. “I didn’t have much time to ask of this before the wedding” He let out a breath, his confidence still shaken, “I wish to ask a lovely lady to be my date”

“Kjelle isn’t here” Nah stepped out of her stall, her clothes neatly folded in her hand, she disregarded Inigo completely as she discarded the garments in her arms into a basket. “So you’re out of luck” It wasn’t a secret that Inigo had his sights on Kjelle for the longest time. That he would constantly flirt with her but could never best her in battle and win a date. “Try the training grounds”

“I’m actually here to see you” He straightened out his back, ah it was now or never. “Nah I’d like to you to do me the honor of being my date tomorrow night for the wedding”

Nah blinked, surprised but still skeptical of his intentions, “Are you only asking me because Kjelle said no?” 

Inigo wanted to step forward, he really did, but with Severa glaring daggers at him he decided it was in his body’s best interest to stay put. “You’re the one I want with me by my side...Nah your eyes are like-” 

“I don’t want a line” Nah’s eyes narrowed, stepping forward to close the gap between her and one of her closest friends. “I’m not some prize you can claim”

“No...no you’re not” With Noire now out of her stall, all of the women had their full attention on him. Perhaps he should’ve waited until the night to do this, on the other hand with ale in his system his proposition would come off as sloppy. “I ah” He rubbed the back of his neck, “You’re one of my closest friends. The only one to come to my bedside when my body riddled with poison...there’s no one I’d rather be with” 

“So you’re saying, you’d rather go with me over one of the locals? A woman just saved by a traveling band of warriors?” Nah knew the type of girl Inigo went for, “Low hanging fruit?”

“If you’d so do me the honor of it” Inigo could only blame himself that the dragon girl only continued to be skeptical of his good intentions. “What do you say?”

Nah contemplated her options, she always enjoyed his company. Having a crush on him only proved to be an annoyance. She never made for the best wingwoman, and it became more difficult to try and give him advice on how to court other women...such as Kjelle. If anything it could be nice having a ‘date’ to this wedding. “Fine”

“That’s a yes?” Inigo’s expression lit up as Nah confirmed it with a nod, “You won’t regret this my flower” He saw her face scrunch up in distaste, “Forget I called you that”

“Ugh will you just go before I deck you again?” Severa chimed in, Morgan and Cynthia quietly laughing behind her. “She said yes, buzz off. We’re here to celebrate Noire” So she was antsy to get into the hot springs. 

As Inigo turned on his heel and left, Nah couldn’t help the small smile escape…of course the other women caught it. As they walked to the hot springs Cynthia couldn’t help the teasing “Awwwwww that was so cute!”

*******************************************************************************

“And that’s when she said yes” At the tavern the men had gathered to celebrate Yarne’s last night as a ‘free’ man. Inigo, a grin on his face, as he explained to the others that Nah accepted his proposal to accompany him to the wedding. 

“Man Severa’s got a mean right hook” Brady brought up his staff so he could heal Inigo’s nose, the man would have probably cried if the perfection of his face if his nose were still swelled the morning of the wedding. “I’m happy she said yes”

“Yes congratulations are in order” Laurent and Owain brought over tall glasses topped to the brim with the town’s finest ale. “To Inigo, for finally being able to open his eyes” The mage sat down in his chair, his lips pulled into a hint of a smirk. He was capable of humor after all.

“To me for finally-hey!” Inigo didn’t appreciate the joke at his expense, but the rest of the men around the table found it humorous. He could swear that even Gerome smiled for a millisecond. “Now if you’d excuse me. Let’s have a proper toast shall we?” Inigo stood up onto the chair, mostly to get as many people in the tavern to look at him as possible. “To Yarne. A man brave enough to listen to his heart and to follow it through. Yes, this may be the last night you’re single my friend but tomorrow will be the first day of a new journey. Now none of us can speak from experience of marriage, heck not all of us can speak of true love” He of course didn’t miss the look Owain sent in Brady’s direction, emotion filling his eyes, “But I have witnessed it. It inspires me to follow my own heart. Yarne you’re a lucky man to have someone look at you the way she does” Inigo couldn’t help but laugh, “A woman who doesn’t mind a little extra scruff in questionable places”

“He was doing so well” Owain kept his voice low, leaning over to his boyfriend’s ear, he wasn’t going to ruin his friend’s moment.

“Har har very funny” Yarne didn’t mind the light teasing, he knew he was lucky that Noire loved every bit of him. “Can you sit down now? Everyone’s starting to stare”

“To Yarne!” Brady spoke up, lifting his cup and clinking it with Owain’s, the other men quickly following suit as a way to get Inigo to get down from his perch. 

“I really should be standing guard” Gerome sat back, barely taking a sip of his ale. He’d prefer to keep his guard up as their last battle took place in this very tavern. 

“Nonsense this is a party” Inigo clapped Gerome’s shoulder, “Now that Yarne is getting married, Brady and Owain are happily wrapped up in each other….you, myself and Laurent are the only eligible bachelors still on the market” 

“I think you’re the only one that cares about it” Yarne laughed, seeing the unamused expression Laurent and Gerome had been sharing. “Besides, until the day after my wedding you’re spoken for”

“I still can’t believe you’re getting married” Owain shook his head, “If that’s not the biggest slap in the face to our future, I’m not sure what is” He leaned back in his chair, thinking on the world they had come from. Risen prevented them from thinking they had a chance at hope...at happiness. “To making memories as bachelors one last time”

The men found themselves laughing at the early stages of Yarne and Noire’s relationship. How Tharja could frighten any of them, except for Gerome, though he did admit Henry made him uneasy. Something about the way the man would constantly grin. None of the men envied Yarne for the family he was marrying into. Talk about in-laws from hell. Gerome and Laurent mostly stayed silent throughout the night as Owain retold his first date with Brady...trying to make Yarne feel better. The group did find humor in Owain taking Brady to a secret place meant for affairs. The rest of the evening was spent with the men helping Inigo by giving him advice so he wouldn’t ruin his chance with Nah. One thing was for certain, nothing would be the same for any of them after tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter, as you could guess it's the big Yarne/Noire wedding. 
> 
> I've had so much fun writing this saga. And even though this part is coming to an end I'm starting to put together a story board for the next bit/sequel.


End file.
